Another Naruto High School Fic WOOT!
by ifwallscouldspeak
Summary: Another one of those high school fanfics, complete with the drama, strong friendships, and topsy-turvy love messes that come with all teenagers. Especially if those teenagers are ninjas. NejiTen, which always makes my heart flutter.
1. A Youthful Beginning?

Rank: T for Teen, cause I'm under the impression that I'm a teen. Am I…? Let me check… yes, yes I am. Moving on.

Summery: NejiTen piece, because I love Neji and Tenten more than any other couple in this series. Except maybe Shikamaru and Ino, they are also cute together.

Another one of those high school fanfics, cause I'd rather think about them than my own boring, non-ninja high school. Woot.

Disclaimer: If I did own Naruto, Itachi would be in every volume, with his shirt off. As would Gaara. -sighs-. So clearly, I don't own Naruto.

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Chapter One: A Youthful Beginning?

"I am such a loser." Tenten said into a door's reflection.

"Of course you are," An amused voice said behind her. "No other type of person would be talking to themselves."

Tenten, startled, whirled around to find Sakura standing there, winking and flashing the peace sign.

"Sakura!" Tenten said, grinning at her friend. They gave each other a hug.

"I missed you this summer!" Sakura exclaimed when they pulled away.

It was September, the first day back to K.H.S. Tenten and Sakura were in the hallway, students running around them yelling out greetings and all-around happiness at seeing each other.

Not so much for being back to school, but hey. They're teenagers.

"I missed you too!" Tenten said.

"So how was it? What did you do?" Sakura asked, pushing a strand of her pink hair out of her face.

"Well, I-" Tenten was cut off by a loud, booming voice.

"TENTEN MY YOUTHFUL FRIEND! SAKURA, MY BEAUTIFUL BLOSSOM! HOW NICE TO SEE YOU BOTH TOGETHER ON THIS FINE DAY OF SCHOOL!"

Okay, okay, one of the students was glad to be back to school.

He thought it helped restore his youthfulness.

Sakura rolled her eyes as a flash of green, orange, and a bowl cut skidded to a stop in front of Tenten's locker.

"Hi, Lee," Tenten had to say with a smile. "How was your summer?"

"YOUTHFUL!" Rock Lee said enthusiastically. "I enjoyed my time at the extreme sports getaway IMMENSILY! How was YOUR summer, Tenten? Sakura?"

Sakura had a pained look on her face. "Lee, could you stop yelling? It's way too early on the first day of school."

Lee looked surprised. "Early? But I've been up since four running laps around my house!"

Sakura and Tenten shot each other a look. Lee's house was surrounded by 200 acres.

"I was only not the first student here this morning because I had lost time, deciding whether to do one thousand laps or five thousand! I decided to twenty five hundred, a nice even number."

"Yeah," Sakura said faintly. "A nice, even number."

Tenten decided to change the subject. "Wow, you guys. Is it even believable that we're senior status?"

Sakura shook her head. "So much has changed since we were freshman, between all of us."

"Yes," Lee said. "It is odd to see you here so early, Tenten."

_Flashback_

_Freshman Year _

_Orientation_

_A girl with her brown hair in two buns is standing by herself, nervous._

_Looking around, she can see that a lot of people know each other and are friends. A couple of groups catch her eye._

_She watches as a girl with pink hair, talking with a boy with black hair and a faint mustache, throws glares at a blonde girl. The blonde girl, who is across the room, is glaring back, but also talking to a boy who is eating chips, and another with pineapple-like hair that's slouching._

_The girl with the brown hair in two buns, Tenten, also notices a pale girl with large grey eyes, glancing back and forth between the blonde and pink-headed girls. The grey-eyed girl is standing next to a boy with sunglasses and another boy with a mysterious lump in his hoodie. As the boys talk, the girl plays with her fingers and appears to be caught between the blonde and pink-haired girl. _

_Looking some more, Tenten sees a blonde boy wearing an orange jumpsuit, laughing loudly. He is surrounded by two boys; a cute black-haired boy, and one with red hair and a tattoo, they are all talking. The last group Tenten notices consists of a tall, pale boy with grey eyes and a lanky boy with a bowl cut. Bowl-cut boy is exclaiming loudly at something, but the grey-eyed boy is standing there, doing nothing. However, it's obvious that they are friends. Tenten feels so alone…_

_Until bowl-cut boy looks over to her and begins to wave and smile._

"_NEW GIRL! COME OVER HERE AND ENJOY YOUR YOUTH! THERE'S NO NEED TO BE SAD!"_

_Sophomore Year_

_Orientation_

_Tenten walks into the large room, excited about the New Year. Gone are the two buns that had nicknamed her "Panda". In their place is one bun. Those eyes focus in on one specific group of people. She can see Sakura giggling and talking with Hinata and Ino. Naruto is grinning happily as his two best friends, Sai and Sasuke, try to ignore each other. Choji is eating pretzels, and Shikamaru is slouching against the nearest wall, which the group has so nicely decided to stand near. Shino is half watching a bee fly around the room and half listening to Kiba talk. Akamaru, the lovable dog, is watching Choji with envy. Gaara is standing between Naruto and two people Tenten doesn't recognize. One is a girl with dark blonde hair, eyeing Shikamaru, and the other has a mummy-like thing on his back. Tenten's smile grows wider as she sees the two most important guys in her life, Neji and Lee. Lee's mouth is moving a mile a minute and Neji is nodding along patiently._

_Neji looks up at Tenten, and her heart beats faster. What could be a smile creeps onto his face. Tenten starts to smile back. The moment is ruined by the voice of her best friend._

"_TENTEN, YOU ARE NO LONGER A PANDA! COME OVER HERE AND ENJOY YOUR YOUTH! THERE'S NO NEED TO STAND OVER THERE ALONE!"_

_Junior Year_

_Orientation _

_Tenten rushes into the room of the Junior Orientation. Her bun, messy, but still in tact, has now been accompanied by bangs that cover her eyes. She is not late, but there is one person in particular that she is eager to see._

_Her eyes scan the room, and falter as she sees the divided groups of what used to be her friends._

_Sakura, Ino, and Hinata are standing by the back of the room, Sakura looking angry, Ino upset, and Hinata unsure. Ino is glaring at Temari and Shikamaru, who are across the room, holding hands. Next to them is Choji, who is glumly drinking a SlimFast. Kankuro and Sai are sitting at a table, looking over a sketchbook. Gaara and Sasuke are standing far away from them, talking seriously. Shino is sitting in a far corner of the room, his face buried in a book, and Kiba, Naruto, and Lee are all standing around, half-heartedly laughing. Tenten begins to frown, the divisions are not supposed to be there, and where is Neji?_

_Lee looks up and sees Tenten. She waits for him to yell and grin, but all she gets is a pity-filled expression. He walks up to her, and to Tenten, is seems like the whole room is staring._

"_He's not coming back, Tenten. I guess he didn't enjoy the youthfulness of this school. Hinata says that he left late summer, and she tried to contact you but…"_

_Tenten continued the sentence in a monotone voice. "But I wasn't here."_

"Tenten?" Sakura's voice jolted Tenten out of her memories.

"Um, what?" Tenten asks.

"COME ALONG, TENTEN! OUR SENIOR ORIENTATION WAS JUST CALLED INTO OUR ASSIGNED ROOM! YOUTHFUL DAY, OUR YEAR BEGINS!" Lee shouted.

"Weirdo," a small freshman muttered as he ran past them. Sakura frowned after him.

"HUSH YOUR FACE FRESH MEAT!" she yelled.

Tenten and Lee look at each other with raised eyebrows. Sakura, seeing this look, says nothing, and starts towards the senior orientation room.

As the three make their way into the room, Tenten scans the crowd skipping over the people she never got to know, and looking for the ones who changed her life by knowing them.

She sees Ino, standing behind a sitting Hinata, French braid Hinata's hair. Standing next to Ino is Shikamaru, who is holding hands with Temari, on his other side. Choji is sitting in a chair next to Hinata, happily chewing on some cookies. Akamaru is at his feet, and Kiba is in the chair next to him. Shino, telling Kiba a story, is standing besides his friend. On the floor in front of the chairs sit Naruto, who is waving his hands around. Listening to Naruto is Sai, who is sitting on one side of him, and Sasuke, who is standing at Naruto's other side. Gaara stands next to Sasuke, a smirk on his mouth, and sitting next to Sai in Kankuro, who is nodding with a grin on his face.

"Look how adorable our buds are," Sakura comments.

"Not as adorable as you, my YOUTHFUL cherry blossom!" Lee says, gazing at Sakura. Tenten stifles a giggle.

"Okay, um, let's just go over there," Sakura says. She and Lee start to walk over, and Tenten just stands for a moment. Tenten then begins to follow when she feels a land on her wrist. Tenten turns around and almost falls over from shock as she stares at the gorgeous, pale boy with grey eyes and long black hair.

"Tenten…" he says. Tenten can not say anything as she waits for him to continue talking.

"… Could you move out of the doorway?" Neji asks her.

Tenten stands there for a good ten seconds before a blush colors her cheeks. With a yell that rivals Lee, she begins to shout.

"I HAVEN'T SEEN OR HEARD FROM YOU SINCE THE END OF SOPHOMORE YEAR, NEJI HYUUGA, AND NOW ALL THAT YOU CAN SAY IS 'COULD YOU GET OUT OF THE WAY'! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! NORMAL PEOPLE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEE ME! BUT THEN AGAIN, NORMAL PEOPLE DON'T KISS THEIR BEST FRIENDS AND THEN JUST LEAVE WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A GOODBYE! SO _CAN_ I MOVE OUT OF THE DOORWAY? YES! _WILL_ I MOVE OUT THE DOORWAY? NO!"

"Oh shit!" Ino's voice carried across the room. "No wonder Tenten was so upset last year, I would be too if Neji kissed me and ran."

"You're gonna be in for a lot of upset then, cause any guy who kisses you will probably run away too," Temari's mutter sounded. There was dead silence for a moment. And then:

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, BITCH?"


	2. Chemistry

Chapter 2: Chemistry

"Give me your schedule, Tenten," Ino was saying. She was sitting across from Tenten on one of the picnic tables outside. Sitting next to Tenten was Hinata (who kept averting her eyes away from the girl) and sitting next to Ino was Sakura.

"I can't, Sakura already stole it from me." Was Tenten's dull reply.

"FOREHEAD! GIVE IT HERE!" Ino screeched.

"SHUT UP YOU PIG! I WANT TO SEE IF TENTEN HAS ANY AFTERNOON CLASSES WITH NEJI SO SHE CAN PREPARE HERSELF FOR WHEN SHE SEES HIM AGAIN!" Sakura shot back.

"OHMYGOD YOU ARE SUCH A STALKER! FIRST SASUKE, NOW NEJI!"

"I AM NOT STALKING NEJI, YOU PERVERT! HE'S TENTEN'S!"

Tenten began to look upset. "Neji does not belong to me, he never did, never will."

Ino and Sakura ignored her.

"THAN HOW ELSE WOULD YOU KNOW HIS SCHEDULE?"

"FYI, INO-PIG, SASUKE WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE IT TO ME!"

"I WONDER WHAT YOU HAD TO DO FOR THAT INFORMATION!"

"ARE YOU CALLING ME A SLUT?"

"NO, I'M CALLING YOU A HORE!"

"Guys, please," begged Hinata. "Stop it, your scaring all the underclassmen."

"Besides which," added Tenten. "I don't care how many classes I have with that boy. He means nothing to me."

Sakura said, "The underclassmen should be scared off. Did you hear what one of the freshmen called Lee! A WEIRDO! I wanted to punt the little snot."

"But Lee is a weirdo," Ino pointed out. "Now give me her schedule, I want to compare, I don't have any morning classes with Tenten."

"But he's OUR weirdo," Sakura defended. "And no, I'm not done. We already know that she has three morning classes with him, I need to check about the last three."

"I don't care! Why aren't you listening to me? Just give Ino the chart!" Tenten said, exasperated.

The problem with that statement was that Tenten DID care.

Her day was to consist of five morning classes, lunch, and three afternoon classes. Her morning consisted of Creative Writing, Languages, World History, Calculus, and Logic and Technology. She had shared Languages, Calculus, and Logic and Technology with Neji. In the afternoon, she knew, she would have Chemistry, Sociology, and then her favorite class, P.E.

Hopefully, they would be using weaponry.

Tenten began to day dream about the many, many ways she could use her kunai knife.

"….Only Chemistry and P.E. That's good, though right? It could be all your classes," Sakura was saying. Ino snatched the schedule from her hands.

"Finally, forehead! Took you long enough!" Ino said, scanning two schedules at one time. "WOOT! I have Chemistry and Sociology with Tenten!"

"I think we all have Chemistry together," Hinata said, looking down at her food. "Right now, right?"

Sakura said, "What, you mean sixth period? Yeah, but it's not right now because-"

The ring of a shrill bell cut her off. Everyone in the courtyard jumped up, and began to head to their classes. Ino and Sakura led the way as Tenten aimlessly followed and Hinata bit her thumb nail off.

"Tenten…?" she said quietly. Tenten turned to look at Hinata, still keeping stride.

"Yeah?"

"Are you um… angry at me because of um…? Neji?" Hinata asked. Tenten stared at her a moment.

"No." she said.

Hinata was confused. "No?"

Tenten nodded. "No."

The group had reached the entrance to the school, gone inside, and was making their way to the Chemistry lab.

"Are you positive?" Hinata asked, stopping Tenten in front of the door. After Ino and Sakura went in, Tenten could see Neji lounging in one of the chairs, his eyes flickering around the room. His eyes caught her for a moment, when he looked away with an indifferent look on his face.

"As if he had any other look," Tenten muttered.

"Tenten…?" Hinata asked, sounding worried as they hovered in the doorway.

Tenten snapped her head in Hinata's direction as the bell rang once more.

"Don't worry, none of this has to do with you," Tenten said, moving into the room and sitting at the table behind Ino and Sakura's. Hinata followed as Gai Sensei got into his nice guy pose in the front of the room.

"YAY! TENTEN! LOOK! ALL OF OUR GANG IS IN THIS CHEMISTRY CLASS! AND IT IS TAUGHT BY MY IDOL, GAI SENSEI!" Lee whisper-shouted at Tenten from the table across from hers. Gaara and Naruto, who he was sitting with, snickered.

Tenten smiled across the path from him, then tuned into what the over-eccentric teacher was saying.

"… So, you've all had me for four years already, and it brings tears to my eyes to see you all so grown up in YOUTHFUL glory!" Gai said, wiping away streaming tears. "But time does go by fast indeed and we'll be doing Chemistry this year, so you'll all be paired back up with your partners from these past years!"

The room sounded in half cheers, and half groans. Tenten just sat there, frozen.

_Flashback_

_Freshman Year_

_December, Earth Science Class_

_Neji walked over to Tenten, and sat down in the chair on her right side._

"_Good thing you're in the middle," He said. "I don't think I can sit next to Lee again. After what happened last time we studied maps, he got way to eager." _

_Tenten smiled at the boy she was getting to know. "Who knew Earth Science could be so exciting?"_

"_Apparently Lee did," Neji responded. Tenten couldn't tell, but she thought a sparkle was in his eyes as he said that…_

"_NEJI! TENTEN! __HOW YOUTHFUL IT IS TO SEE YOU TWO TALKING!" Lee said, bounding over to the seat next to Tenten. "MY TWO GREAT FRIENDS GETTING ALONG! WE WERE SO LUCKY TO GET EACH OTHER AS SCIENCE PARTENRS! TENTEN, YOU AND NEJI LOOK SO GOOD WITH EACH OTHER!"_

_Tenten blushed as Neji reached over and smacked Lee in the back of the head._

_Sophomore Year_

_September, Biology Class_

"_Fancy seeing you here," a deep voice said next to Tenten. _

_She turned from Sakura to see Neji staring down at her._

"_Hey! I haven't seen you in any of my other classes yet! Good to know we have at least one together!" Tenten said._

_Neji nodded to the front of the room, where Gai Sensei and Lee were having a moment._

"_OH GAI SENSEI!"_

"_OH LEE! THE POWER OF YOUTH IS IN YOU!"_

"_OH BUT GAI SENSEI! I GET IT FROM YOU!"_

"_OH LEE!"_

"_OH SENSEI!"_

"_OH LEE!"_

"_OH SENSEI!"_

"_If he's going to be doing that all year," Neji said, referring to Lee, "it looks like I'll get to have you all to myself as a bio partner."_

_Tenten blushed, and Sakura giggled._

"_And who says she wants to be your partner?" Sakura asked him._

_Neji turned his stare to Sakura, who immediately began to turn red._

"_Uh, huh, just kidding!" Sakura said hurriedly, waving her hands in a truce sign. "Of course she wants to be your partner!"_

"_That's good," Neji said. "But you're in my seat." Sakura pinched Tenten's elbow as discreetly as possible._

"_Damn, girl!" Sakura whispered into her ear as she got up._

"_I saw that," Neji said. "Heard it too."_

"_Good," Sakura replied, before flouncing off into the empty seat next to Naruto. _

_Junior Year_

_November, Health and Healing Class_

"_Do not fear, Tenten, we will be great parents!" Lee said, cradling the egg in his hands. _

_Tenten looked at the egg. "Do you really think so, Lee? It's awfully small and fragile and we're…well, we're not."_

_Lee grinned brightly at her. "We will be youthful and so will our egg!"_

_Tenten sighed. "Neji would have been better at this."_

_Lee said nothing for a moment, than touched the inside of her elbow._

"_Its okay, Tenten, my best friend," he said. "In honor of our missing companion, we shall call the egg Neji!"_

_Tenten, for the first time in science class that year, smiled. _

"Are you ready to do chemistry, Tenten?" Lee asked, slipping into the seat next to her as Hinata went off to sit with Kiba and Shino.

"I guess," she answered, watching Neji and Gai sensei talk. They began to walk in her direction.

"No!" Tenten said passionately.

But it was too late.

"Tenten and Lee, re-meet your science partner Neji! With the power of youth you three shall be reconnected and ace chemistry!" Gai said happily.

"YAY!" Lee shouted.

"Hn." Neji said, sitting in the chair next to Lee.

Tenten could only glare at the three men surrounding her.

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YAY, as Lee would shout. ONTO CHAPTER 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	3. Hinata, Fangirls, and Targets …

Chapter 3: Hinata, Fan-girls, and Targets …

"OH NEJI-KUN! YOU'RE BACK!"

Tenten winces in a visible pain as another random fan-girl runs up to Neji and throws her arms around him. Hinata, who stands between her and Neji, winces also. Tenten glances over to look at him. He, as always, looks stoic and angry while the girl continues to hug him and yell out words of love at him.

"Get off me or suffer the consequences," Neji says in a face-melting voice. The girl immediately drops her arms, looks at Tenten and Hinata with a terrified look on her face, and runs away.

"Idiot," Tenten mutters.

It is after school, and the three are waiting in the front of the building. Tenten, for her bus to hurry up and arrive, and Neji and Hinata for their chauffeur to show up. Tenten and Hinata had innocently been talking when Neji had planted himself on Hinata's other side and waited with them.

The conversations had mainly died then.

**I knew I should've said yes to Lee's offer to drive me home**Tenten thinks.**But no, I had to be independent, once more. Psh. STUPD BUS! BAKA!**

Despite her own discomfort, Tenten feels even worse for her friend. After being Neji-less for a year, Hinata had bloomed more, became confident, cheery, and even a little loud. But, as it appeared to Tenten, after one day with Neji back in school, Hinata had retreated back into being, 'oh yeah, that other Hyuuga.' Even now, Tenten could see her friend's eyes darting at Neji nervously, biting her lip every so often, pushing her fingers together, and snapping the ponytail holder on her wrist against the sensitive skin. Hinata was still scared of Neji, and now it seemed she always would be.

Ahem. Or so Tenten thought.

Suddenly, Hinata took a deep breath, took a step back so Tenten and Neji were side by side, and shouted, "Neji, brother, do you remember that time when Tenten beat the living crap out of that fan-girl!"

Neji, as startled as Tenten, let his passive demeanor slip. His head snapped to look at Hinata, then at Tenten, eyes wide and brow furrowed.

Tenten, though staring at her friend and her friend's growing blush, wanted to jump up and down chanting a song that praised Hinata's boldness.

"Hn." Neji said finally, slipping back into his flaccid state. But Hinata was not finished. Taking another deep breath, she went on.

"I too remember! She came up to the three of us at the fair! And started to touch and annoy you! And you seemed too nice at that moment to do anything! But Tenten grabbed her by the hair, began to yell passionately, and decked her in the face! And then you smiled! And won Tenten a panda even though she pretends to hate the nickname!"

"PRETENDS!" Tenten shouted before she could stop herself. Hinata, in the face of another loud voice, seemed to deflate a bit, and Neji turned to stare at Tenten. Hinata focused on a spot behind Tenten's head, and opened her mouth again.

"Yes pretends! But Tenten, friend, do you remember the time during the winter when we had that snowball fight and Kiba started using charka in his snowballs so then you started using your weaponry! And it turned into a doge-the-projectile-in-the-snow fight! And it was so much fun! But then Tenten couldn't find her weapons because the snow was so heavy! So we all ran around the clearing looking for them! But at the end you couldn't find your favorite, the red kunai!"

Tenten scrunched her forehead. "Um, yeah…?"

"Hinata!" Neji shushed, pivoting to glare at his cousin. But Hinata, still looking over Tenten's shoulder, trekked onward.

"but Neji did find it! and he took it home and kept it!"

"NEJI DID WHAT!" Tenten screeched, turning to look at Neji.

Hinata, noticing that she might have started something, began to wave her hand widely.

"But this is not the point! Because Tenten, you still have the panda on your bed and sleep with every night! And Neji, you have the kunai and keep it under your pillow and sleep on it and took it with you when you left! So tell me, if two people who hold onto objects like this so dearly, shouldn't they try to become friends again!"

"I DO NOT SLEEP WITH IT EVERY NIGHT!" Tenten yelled.

At the same moment, Neji hissed, "I do not keep it under my pillow all the time!"

Under the intense gazes of both an angry Neji and an angry Tenten, Hinata did the only thing that made sense. She began to hyperventilate, and then immediately fainted.

"HINATA!" Tenten and Neji yelled as Hinata fell to the ground.

Rushing forward, Neji caught her before she hit the ground, Tenten on her other side.

They both looked up at each other, Neji staring into Tenten's brown eyes, and Tenten into Neji's grey-white ones. And Tenten was suddenly lost for words.

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Okay, short chapter… but only because I'm so excited to write this next one! WOOT!


	4. At Home

CHAPTER 4: At Home

"I don't know what you thought you were trying to accomplish, Hinata."

Hinata looked up sharply from her laptop. She had been innocently downloading new songs when the room to her door had swung open and Neji moved into the doorway.

"Um, I was… it, uh, I mean… u-um, nothing, r-really, just, eh…" Hinata tried to muster up some of the conviction she had had earlier, but couldn't because of the way Neji just stared at her, judging.

**As if he had any other look,** Hinata heard Tenten's voice in the back of her mind.

"Just what, Hinata?" Neji asked, as if he was asking about the weather outside.

"I…um…" Hinata started, darting her eyes around the room.

"You, what?" Neji asked, still unmoving.

Hinata could not take it anymore. "I JUST THINK IT'S SO RIDICULOUS HOW YOU AND TENTEN ACTED TODAY! IGNORING EACH OTHER AND ACTING LIKE THIRD GRADERS! AND HONESTLY, I DON'T BLAME HER, WITH YOU UP AND LEAVING WITH NO CORROSPONDANCE OR ANYTHING, BUT NEJI! GROVELING WAS A GIVEN AND DID YOU? NO!"

Neji had no reaction for a few moments, except for the rapid blinking of his eyes. Before he could answer, her cell phone rang. Hinata eagerly pounced on it and flipped it open.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hinata? It's me," a deep, male voice said on the other end. Hinata, not even noticing what she was doing, immediately sat up straighter and began to smile widely.

"H-hey. What's up?" she asked, seeming to forget that her intensely monotone cousin was still in the room.

"I just wanted to ask if you were okay… Tenten told Lee who told Sakura who told Ino who told Shikamaru who told me you fainted after school?"

Hinata blushed so hard she though her cheeks had just spontaneously combusted.

"Um, yeah… I'm fine now." she said into the phone.

"I'm relieved," the voice on the other end said, hesitating. "Cause I was also calling to ask if you wanted to come with me for a walk or something? In like five minutes?"

Hinata said absolutely nothing as her mind drifts to a place of fireworks, violins playing, soft rain, and flowers.

"Hinata? Are you there?" the voice said on the other end, sounding worried around three minutes later.

"What? Yes," Hinata said, her blush coming back. "And yes, please, I would love to walk with you."

"That's great, cause um… I'm sort of already in front of your house." The voice said. "And my cell is about to die."

"Oh!" Hinata said, jumping up quickly. "No problem then, I'll be right down!"

Hinata, snapping her phone shut and running to the closet to get a light jacket, really has forgotten that her cousin is still in the room.

"And exactly where are you going?" Neji asked her, breaking Hinata's bubble world.

"Oh!" Hinata exclaimed, pivoting to face him, jacket in hand. "I uh, forgot that y-you were s-s-standing there."

She slowly pulled her jacket on and finger combed her hair under Neji's intense gaze.

"Where are you going, Hinata?" he asked.

"Nowhere, j-just for a walk with a friend," Hinata said, slipping her phone into her pocket.

"Which friend, Hinata?" Neji asked, raising his eyebrow. He A) was not finished with their conversation and B) was trying to figure out what had gotten into her.

Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably. "Just a friend, okay? Now excuse me!"

Hinata pushed past Neji and down the hall, to get out the house as soon as possible.

Neji walked into the room and peered through the window. Hinata's room was one of the only rooms that had a window facing the front of the Hyuuga compound

Dark already, the only thing Neji can make out is two figures shyly walking with each other away from the house. One of them is shorter than the other, a girl, who Neji knows is Hinata. The other, Neji can't make out, only that he has short spiked hair…

Neji decided to make his way down the hall to his uncle's office. On the short trek there, Neji's anger slowly grew. Until...

"Your daughter just left the compound with some guy!" Neji shouted at his uncle and little cousin when he reached the office. Hiashi and Hanabi, innocently playing a game of chess, look up, very much startled.

"There's no need to be so loud, Neji," Hiashi said, frowning at him. "We're right here."

"Besides, Hinata has been leaving the compound with some guy since the summer," Hanabi added.

Hiashi shoot her a scolding look. "Now, Hanabi, Hinata has told us the name of her young fellow on more than one occasion-"

"Wait, you're letting Hinata date? After all the grief you used to put me through?" Neji said, his haw clenching and his voice rising.

Hiashi raised his hand. "Neji, please, control this temper. Although an improvement to you not speaking to me at all, you just got home, so refrain from yelling."

"And," Hanabi interjected, "Hinata's not dating this guy, so she says. Whatever, you said the same thing about whatshername, and then I caught you two kissing in front of the house-"

"Hanabi!" Hiashi snapped.

Neji closed his eyes and took a deep breath to abstain from reaching over and cutting off all the blood flow to his cousin's heart.

"Hiashi, I just don't understand how before I left, you practically had Hinata on a ball and chain and now she's roaming around at all hours of the night with some boy," Neji said, keeping his voice steady.

**I also don't understand how Hiashi is acting as though we're discussing the weather when last time I was here- **

"ohmygod, you are seriously in big brother mode right now," Hanabi said, interrupting Neji's thoughts.

Hiashi just sighed and shook his head at his daughter before turning back to Neji. "Well, a lot of things have changed sine you left, Neji."

"Clearly they have," Neji said tonelessly before turning on his heel and exiting the study.

A few minutes later, the front door slammed shut loudly.

"He is such a drama king," Hanabi said.

"No," Hiashi corrected, "he is a teenager. And checkmate."

"Why must you always defeat me?" Hanabi howled woefully.

Meanwhile, Tenten was sitting on her living room couch, a game show playing on her television and take-out sitting on the low table in front of her.

"What do 65 percent of people in the Land of Snow do daily?" the host was asking a bald, sweating man.

"Um, exercise?" the man asked back, looking panicked.

"Is that your finally answer?" the host asked, looking dubious.

"Um, yes. NO! Wait no, it's not! Wait… yes! Um… no? ARGH!" the bald man yelled. "YES, YES, my final answer is YES!"

The host looked slightly scared for his life for a second before turning to the camera.

"We'll take a short commercial break, but don't change that channel! We'll be back before you know it to see if Jefu answered this question correctly and wins ONE HUNDRED MILLION IN CASH!"

The sound of thunderous clapping coming from her television distracted Tenten away from the sound of thunderous pounding on her front door. That is, until the commercial break started. Tenten, worried over the intensity of the poundage on her door, picked up a bat on the floor next to her and approached the door.

"Um, who is it?" she called out tentatively. The pounding stopped.

"It's me," the deep, monotone voice came from the other side of the door. "Are you deaf, Tenten? I've been knocking for about five minutes here."

Tenten scowled and dropped the bat. "I'm sorry; I actually don't know anyone by the name of 'me', so you must have the wrong Tenten!"

"You do realize I'm on the verge of breaking down this door." The voice said. Tenten's scowl deepened, but she reluctantly unlocked the door and flung it open.

"Only because Sai destroyed all my tools using them for his art during the summer and I can't afford to get new ones at the moment," Tenten said, folding her arms over her chest.

Clearly not moved by this, Neji simply pushed Tenten out of the way and entered her apartment, sitting in her armchair.

"That's fine, Neji, come in, have a seat," Tenten muttered to herself sarcastically as she pushed the door back closed and locked it. She marched back to the couch and glared stonily as Neji took the remote and shut off the television.

"I was watching that," she said.

"'Was' is the operative word," Neji said, shrugging.

Tenten, at this point, wouldn't be surprised if her scowl became permanently etched in her face.

"Is there some reason why you're here?"

"Who's Hinata's boyfriend?" Neji asked bluntly.

Tenten gaped at him, surprised. "You don't know?"

Neji just stared at her. "Clearly, or else I wouldn't be here."

"There goes the thought I had of you only coming to enjoy my company," Tenten said mockingly. "Dash it all!"

If Neji's eyes weren't just that one grayish white color, Tenten would've though he was rolling them at her.

"I just got back in early this morning," was his answer.

"Good to know I'm not the only one you cut off, then," Tenten snapped unthinkingly.

Neji said nothing, only stared at her. Tenten rubbed her hand across her face and sighed.

"She's been seeing Gaara all summer, ever since they both volunteered to read to kids in the library."

"Gaara of the Sand?" Neji said, disbelieving.

Tenten nodded. "everyone was a little surprised, considering she's Hinata and he's...well, he's Gaara, and they've both know each other since freshman year, but they really got to know each other better and hit it off."

Neji said nothing for a moment. "I can't believe Hiashi is letting her see him, considering."

"I'm not," Tenten said, looking down at the floor. "Gaara is the Kazekage's son, after all, and plus, he just never really liked me... After all, I didn't meet him under the best circumstances."

_Flashback_

_Summer between Freshman and Sophomore years_

_July, the Ramen Stand_

"_Tenten, just try the octopus," Neji said, smiling at the disgusted look on her face._

"_Neji. Eww. Look at it, the tentacles are all flopping over the bowl and everything."_

"_Try it, for me. Then I swear you won't have to eat another bite if you despise it." Neji said. _

_the two were at the ramen stand, sharing a bowl of octopus ramen. If was almost twilight, and both were exhausted because the whole gang had just finished a water balloon fight. However, the two were also ravenous and decided to get noodles. Tenten had let Neji order and they would split the food, but she hadn't thought he would get octopus. _

_Looking into his beautiful eyes now, however, Tenten thought that if he asked her to stand on her head while singing the national anthem and write a two page essay, she would do it._

"_Okay," she said dubiously, "but I swear, if this is nasty…"_

"_It won't be," Neji promised, picking up a small piece with his chopsticks and holding the food end to her. _

_Tenten leaned towards Neji and bit the seafood off his utensils while looking into his eyes. She slowly chewed it, than swallowed._

"_Well?" Neji asked expectantly. _

"_The most vile, disgusting thing ever to have been cooked!" Tenten announced cheerfully. _

_Neji grinned. "You are such a liar."_

"_Oh yeah?" Tenten asked pertly with a raised eyebrow. "Prove that I'm a liar."_

"_With pleasure," Neji said, unexpectedly leaning forward, grabbing Tenten, and pulling her onto his lap._

"_Neji, what the he- HAHAHA STOP!" Tenten started to say before Neji tickled her with his fast fingers._

_Tenten roared with laughter loudly, half trying to stop him and half trying not to fall off of him. _

"_STOP I'M BEGGING YOU, YOU KNOW HOW TICKLISH I AM NEJI HYUUGA!" she shouted in between laughs._

"_Then take back what you said," Neji said, smiling and fiercely tickling her._

"_I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON'T STOP IT!" Tenten yelped._

"_What are you going to do?" Neji mocked jokingly._

"_TICKLE YOU BACK!" Tenten yelled out, quickly moving her arms and tickling his stomach with her fingers._

"_TENTEN!" Neji cried out, laughing and trying to tickle her back. "There's no retaliation! Now stop it and let me tickle you!"_

_Tenten laughed out of humor and because of Neji's hands. "NEVER! TICKLE TO THE DEATH I SAY!"_

_Their laughter echoed as they battled in humor and without restraint. _

_That is to say, until they heard a deep, older voice. _

"_Neji?" the voice said. Startled, Neji and Tenten both let go of each other, causing Tenten to crash to the floor at the feet of a very tall, solemn man with grey-white eyes and long black hair. _

_The man stared down at Tenten and made no move to help her up. Flushed from Neji's tickling and from embarrassment, Tenten stayed there, frozen._

_Neji, also flushed, recovered quickly and hauled Tenten off the floor._

"_Hiashi," Neji said tonelessly, standing beside Tenten. Tenten's fading blush came back with a vengeance as she realized that this man was Neji's respected, upright, dignified uncle. She inadvertently inched closer to Neji under his uncle's seemingly harsh gaze. _

"_I had no idea you kept such… audacious company, nephew," Hiashi said in a tone that was not complementary. _

"_Yes," Neji said, not looking intimidated at all. "This is Tenten." _

_Neji, sensing Tenten's discomfort, took her hand and squeezed it. _

_Tenten shot Neji a grateful look. This did not go unnoticed by Hiashi._

"_Do you always act so indecorous in public, Tenten?" Hiashi asked. _

"_Only when she is with me, uncle," Neji said, shooting Tenten a small smile. "I seem to be a very bad influence."_

_Tenten couldn't help but smile as Hiashi scowled slightly._

"_True ladies always act with dignity," Hiashi said. "As do Hyuuga's."_

_Tenten and Neji watched Hiashi give them one last look, than walk away._

"_I guess that means I'm not a true lady," Tenten whispered to Neji._

"_Don't worry, I'm not a true Hyuuga," Neji responded._

"Hard to believe that event was more than two years ago," Neji commented.

Tenten looked up at him. "Why did you leave me, Neji?"

Neji, caught off guard by the abrupt question, said nothing. When he finally opened his mouth, after what seemed like an eternity to Tenten, she though that maybe, just maybe…

"Thank you for telling me about Hinata, Tenten. I'll see you tomorrow."

Neji stood up quickly, not looking her in the eyes. Tenten, still seated with a look of disbelief on her face, had the urge to kick the "prodigy". She watched as he walked to her door. She heard the unsatisfactory _click_ of the door being unlocked. And she felt upset all over again.

"Neji, wait," she said, jumping up as his hand turned the doorknob. He stopped his motions, but didn't look back at her.

"Look, I know… some things… changed our relationship that last few weeks we were… you know… and I also know that we both changed a lot last year, but we were best friends… well, at least you were my best friend... and I just need to know why you… stopped wanting me to be yours." Tenten said, hoping she didn't sound as pathetic as she felt.

"Tenten… none of that was about you… it was about… me." Neji said, still not turning around. Tenten crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

"If that wasn't a line than I don't know what is," she muttered.

This time, Neji did turn. "Tenten, just like the universe doesn't revolve around the earth, it doesn't revolve around you either."

Tenten involuntarily took a step back at the words. They weren't spoken in a harsh tone, and weren't accompanied by an angry face, but their content…

"Excuse me?" she asked incredulously.

"Tenten, every other word coming out of your mouth is 'me'. And here I am, telling you that my reasons for leaving had nothing to do with you and everything to do with me."

Tenten blushed and looked down.

"Maybe I do sound like your leaving was all because of me, but its easier to think that then to think you cared about me so little that you just up and left without a second though back. At least if you left because of me, there was an excuse for why you didn't call, or write, or come back or… or anything…" Tenten said quietly.

Neji turned back around, gripping the doorknob tighter.

"I'll see you tomorrow in school, Tenten," he said.

Tenten couldn't let him leave yet; there was one more thing she had to know, even if it broke her even more than her first question did.

"Was there… another girl you met?" she asked. "wherever it was that you went?"

Neji did not respond, only turned the knob and pulled open the door.

Tenten, feeling that she wasn't getting an answer, made her way across the room to lock the door after him. As he stepped out, she grasped the wood to push closed.

However, Neji turned again swiftly and stopped her.

"Yes," he said, looking down at her with those big pale eyes. "About the other... girl. She was the whole reason I left."

Tenten just stared at him, her throat dry and closing up quickly.

"Before or after?" was all she could manage to say.

It didn't matter though, because he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Before I kissed you," he said, emotionless in tone, as usual.

Tenten wished he would just move out of the door's way before she knocked him out with it. She couldn't help but think of herself as the experiment before he went off to be with his other girl.

Apparently, Neji had another line of action, as he just leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. And although the kiss only lasted a mere two seconds, Tenten nearly forgot what they had just been talking about.

"She wasn't the reason I came back though," Neji said before turning once more and walking down her front steps and into the night.

Long after she couldn't see his retreating form, Tenten just stood there with a death grip on her door, the only thing keeping her upright.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE PLOT THICKENS!! Who was Neji visiting, that skank? Why did he just kiss Tenten? Will Tenten ever close her front door? FIND OUT IN CHAPTER 5!!!


	5. On the Steps

Chapter 5: On the Steps

A week and a half passed and he still hadn't kissed her again.

Even more disturbing, a week and a half had passed and he hadn't even talked to her again, besides, 'pass me the beaker', and 'is this seat taken?' 'Please shut Lee up before I do' and other non-personal phrases like that.

It was driving Tenten crazy. She had questions, many, many questions, was demanded they get answered before she blew up.

And, knowing herself, Tenten knew that 'blowing up' at Neji would include lots of shiny, pointy weapons and using the said boy as target practice. 

"Why don't you ask him what's wrong?" Sakura asked as she, Tenten, Hinata, and Ino sat down on the front steps at the end of their school day. Kids streamed past them and onto the sidewalk, eager to leave the confines of the building. All four were sitting crossed-legged, with Hinata on the highest step, Tenten on the lowest, and Sakura and Ino facing each other on middle ground.

"Yeah, be the bigger person!" Ino commented, before wincing. "Um, sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, okay, so you've put on a pound or two sitting at home munching on ice cream to make you feel better and stressing, but it looks good on you Tenten, really, and there's no way that you weigh more than Nej-"

Ino cut herself off, seeing the glares coming from her three friends. Wisely, she says nothing more.

"What I really want to do," Tenten said, "is kick his sorry ass. What is with boys, thinking they can go around kissing us all the time for no apparent reason?"

"Do you really think that's a good idea, attempting to beat him up?" Hinata asked, looking incredulous. "It doesn't really seem like it would work. What would you accomplish, besides having a bruised and bloodied boy on your hands?"

Sakura said pointedly, "Well Hinata, not all of us can have reformed bad boys from the sand following us around like lovesick puppies." 

Hinata blushed redder than Sakura's shirt and Tenten laughed.

"Well it would make me feel better," she said. "And besides, kicking him around a little will help shed the pound I apparently gained sitting around stressing."

Ino, clearly wanting to change the subject so that Tenten didn't kick _her_ ass, practically screamed, "Speaking of lovesick puppies. Has anyone else noticed that Naruto has been acting strangely?"

Hinata frowned. "Lovesick puppy plus Naruto? I don't get the connection."

"Cause, you know," Ino said, "of the fox thing."

"Oh," Tenten and Hinata said together in enlightenment.

"Who cares about that? Ino, what do you mean? Details, Ino details, or what else will I have to work with?" the pink-haired girl asked.

Ino shrugged, a genuine worry-line appearing on her face. "It's so odd, ever since Gaara and Hinata have started acting the couple more and more, he's been really protective. Like, the other day when Gaara held the door open for me and Hinata, Naruto appeared out of like, nowhere, and grabbed Hinata's books right out of her hands, yelling something about how a real gentleman held a lady's things and the help held open doors. Or how every day in Logic and Tech, whenever Gaara raises his hand to answer one of Asuma's questions, Naruto shouts out an answer before anyone can be called on."

"Someone's jealous," Sakura said unnecessarily. "What are you going to do about it, Hinata?"

"Um, w-what?" Hinata said, looking flustered. "No, guys, it's not that! There's no way Naruto-kun is _jealous_! He's, you know just a little o-over protective, haha, he and I are really good friends an-"

"Oh hush your face," Sakura interrupted. "He is so into you, none of this brotherly love type stuff." 

"He's such a loser, showing no interest whatsoever when you were stalking him, and then bam, as soon as some hottie shows a curiosity in you-" Ino started.

"Excuse me, I was notstalking him!" Hinata said, blushing some more. 

"Of course you weren't," Sakura said in a tone that clearly implied that Hinata did. 

Hinata shot Sakura a look before frowning. "It doesn't matter anyway if I was or wasn't - though I was not – because all that matters is that now I'm sort of with Gaara and I'm happy, and Naruto is my friend and he says he's happy for me too."

"Wait, wait, wait, and wait!" Sakura cried. "What do you mean, you're 'sort of with Gaara'?"

"Well, he hasn't actually asked me to be his girlfriend," Hinata replied as a shadow fell over her face.

"You mean my brother? That idiot still hasn't asked you to be in a relationship with him?" Temari asked, standing over the group of four.

"Look what the sand blew in," Ino muttered in a snotty tone.

Temari only shot Ino a smirk before turning her attention back to Hinata. "Didn't mean to pry, Hinata, but don't worry, Gaara is just shy like that. But anyway, back to why I'm over here."

"And please, do hurry up so you can leave again," Ino said.

"Oh don't worry, I'll be quick," Temari said. "Shika and I have plans that I just can't miss."

Ino scowled, and in support, Sakura crossed her arms over her chest.

"So why'd you come over?" Tenten asked, trying to sound polite. She personally had nothing against the girl, just knew that Ino did, and did not want to get into the politics. Temari and Ino both seemed to respect that, though Ino did have plenty to say about the Suna girl in Tenten's hearing range. 

Temari nodded. "Right. Actually, it's about my other brother."

"Kankuro? Hey, isn't his birthday coming up?" Sakura asked. 

Temari dug into her messenger bag, and pulled out four pieces of paper. "Yeah, that's what this is about. We're throwing him an eighteenth birthday bash on Saturday. Hope you guys can come… even you, Ino."

As Ino continued to scowl, the other three girls reached for the papers.

The flyer was simple, just the announcement of Kankuro's birthday, where and when, to RSVP, that presents weren't needed but accepted. 

"Cool, thanks Temari," Hinata said, putting her flyer into her own messenger bag. 

"And now I'm finished," Temari said, pointedly looking at Ino. "See you girls later."

The four watched Temari flounce down the stairs to Shikamaru, who waved. Ino rolled her eyes and turned her face back to Tenten, Sakura, and Hinata.

"I don't even know what he sees in her. She's a _dirty_ blonde, for Christ sake!" Ino said.

Sakura smirked. "As opposed to a platinum blonde?" 

"Forehead-" Ino started, before Tenten practically launched herself forward between the two best friends. She landed on her back, with her head in Hinata's lap and Sakura on her left with Ino on her right.

"So yeah, a party, we should all go!" Tenten yelled, rolling her head to look first at Sakura than at Ino. 

"Yeah, we should!" Hinata said. "It is about time that one occurred. Strange, we're finally in our senior year and no one has kicked off a party yet."

"I'll say!" Lee's loud voice rang out. 

Hinata, Sakura, and Ino looked in the direction of his voice, which had come from the doorway to the school. Tenten simply sighed and closed her eyes. 

Although Lee was her best friend, he was Neji's best friend too, and had not given an inchof a detail when Tenten had interrogated him about the stoic boy's feeling for her. Granted, Lee had tried to explain that he and Neji didn't talk about things like crushes, but Tenten was still suspicious. 

"Some kind of loyalty to me, the best friend that didn't up and leave," Tenten muttered as she listened to Lee loudly make his way over to the foursome. She kept her eyes closed.

"I couldn't help but overhear Tenten and Hinata yelling about parties, and concluded that you guys were also invited to the YOUTHFUL bash of Kankuro's eighteenth birthday!"

"Yeah, Temari just gave us the invites," Sakura said. "I assume you're going?" 

"Most definitely! I would not miss it for all the youthful things that could be happening simultaneously in the world! The first of us to turn eighteen, it certainly is a joyous thing to behold! And all of us together at the bash, why it will be a splendidly youthful time! And this time of year is so wonderful to hold such a-"

Ino, clearly tired of Lee's rant, was quick to cut him off. "And you, Neji? Are you coming too?" 

At the mention of the boy's name, Tenten's eyes flew open, and she sat forward suddenly, projecting herself off of Hinata's lap.

Unfortunately, Hinata was slightly bent forward, as she always does whenever her cousin in close, and the top of Tenten's head made a crash collision with Hinata's chin.

"Ouch!" Both girls cried in unison. Tenten fell back again and rolled slightly, gripping her head. Hinata's hand immediately went to caress her chin, and she tasted a bit of blood in her mouth from the impact of her teeth inadvertently hitting her tongue. 

"Ohmygod are you guys okay?" Ino cried, trying to hold in her giggles. Sakura and Lee, not even trying to contain themselves, began to howl with laughter. Tenten could only continue to lay on the steps in humiliation and she rubbed her head and watched Neji stare. 

"I'm okay," Hinata said after Lee and Sakura had finished the last of their giggles. "My tongue just bumped into my teeth is all." 

"Oh, you must be used to it then," Ino said, "what with Gaara's tongue recently-" Noticing the glare from Neji's face, she quickly cut herself off and blushed furiously. 

Tenten rolled her eyes and sat up, this time making sure not to hit any of her friends in the jaw with her head. 

"Sorry Hinata, I didn't mean to attack you with my skull," Tenten said, smiling at her friend sheepishly. 

"It's quite alright," Hinata said, smiling back at her.

"I think that's about the first time I've seen Hinata smile in Neji's presence," Sakura muttered to Ino.

"Nu-uh," Ino argued. "Remember that time when he and Tenten-"

"So, the party, right!" Tenten said loudly over Ino's voice. She really had no desire to hear what the girl was saying, and honestly, memory lane was closed.

Neji smirked at her, making Tenten feel like he knew exactly what she was doing. And most likely, that was the case. 

"Yes, of course!" Lee said excitedly, as if he had no clue what was going on. Which was most likely the case. "I do of course assume that Temari has invited the rest of our gang."

"Well if she invited Ino, it's safe to say she invited everyone," Sakura said grinning.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Anyway, we must go," Lee said, smiling down broadly at the girls. "Neji and I are going to-"

"Lee," Neji said, stoic as ever, "They really don't care. Let's go."

Lee looked down cast for a moment. "Oh, okay. Anyway, bye girls… see you later, my Sakura!" 

Sakura groaned as the other three girls waved as Lee and Neji continued their way down the stairs. 

"I guess I'm riding home by myself then," Hinata said, watching Lee and Neji walk off.

"Well, of you don't want to be on your lonesome, just ask lover-boy to keep you company," Ino said with an exaggerated wink. Hinata immediately turned red. 

"Actually, he goes to his internship today," Hinata said, "and has been long gone from school."

"Well if you're feeling especially lonely and generous to your three best friends in the whole wide world," Sakura said with a mischievous grin, "I'm sure all of us are up to a free limo ride." 

"Sakura!" Tenten said, punching the girl in the shoulder. "Stop trying to coerce Hinata into giving you a ride."

"No, no!" Hinata said. "You know I don't mind giving rides, you guys! It's only Neji that has… a bit of a… problem with it sometimes."

"I am getting tired of that attitude, Hinata!" Tenten burst out suddenly. "Stop letting your insufferable cousin dictate what you can and can't do! Take a stand!"

Unknown to Tenten, Ino and Hinata exhanged winks.

"Okay, one: where did that come from? And two: are you sure you're talking about Hinata, or about yourself?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tenten glared. "Excuse me, Neji does not dictate what I do or don't do!" 

"Except for the fact that you sort of let him control your happiness? Come on, Tenten, you have to admit last year was hard for you, and ever since Neji came back you've been a little more… hostile." Ino said.

"And spaced-out," Sakura added.

"Not to mention you haven't so much as glanced at any other guy," Ino said.

"Excuse me? Besides a select few, have you seen the unwashed miscreants that go to our school?" Tenten asked pointedly.

Sakura scoffed. "Oh whatever, Tenten. You know, if this was any other person, you would have hauled off and smacked someone by now-"

"Guys!" Hinatawhispered, "Why don't we changed to subject-"

"What are you trying to say?" Tenten demanded, jumping up from frustration. "That I have become the sort of girl that does nothing but complain about something instead of taking action? And what about you guys?"

Ino jumped up too. "What is that supposed to mean?"

This time, Hinata tried to pull on Tenten's pant leg. "Um, you guys, let's change-"

"It means that at least I have some sort of logical reason for being more than slightly upset and not confronting Neji! What about you, Ino? Get over it already, okay, Temari and Shikamaru have been dating since the summer before junior year and it pretty much doesn't look like they'll be breaking up! And why are you so upset anyway, since, according to you, you don't even like Shika!" Tenten almost shouted, becoming very defensive.

The only relief that Tenten got from this situation was that school had been out for a while and no one else was around, especially the objects of this conversation. 

"OH! OH! OH!" Ino said, unable to form her words quite yet. "Well at least Shikamaru knows how I feel about this situation! At least I talk to him! And for your information, Tenten, the reason why I do that is because he's my friend, okay, and nothing more!"

"BOTH OF YOU, I think it's time to shut-" Sakura said, eyes wide as she looked directly past Tenten. 

"Hinata, Sakura, thanks for the concern, but this has to be said! Neji does not control my happiness or what I do, and I choose to complain about him to you guys because that's what friends do!"

"Tenten," Ino said pointedly, flickering her eyes back and forth between Tenten's face and the person standing behind Tenten, "we get it, now you can stop talking."

Tenten continued to ignore her friends. "But if you're all in a census that that is exactly what I do, the next time I see the miserable boy, I'll hit him or something, okay? Would that satisfy you all?"

"Well, it wouldn't satisfy me," the person behind Tenten said. "It would probably hurt."

As Hinata turned purple and Ino hid her face in her hand, Tenten turned around with an impending feeling of doom. 

"Though it is good to know that the next time you see me you'll hit me," Neji continued as if he were talking to Tenten's face the whole time instead of standing behind her, "It gives me time to prepare myself."

"N-Neji," Hinata said, "Wh-wh-what are y-you doing back h-h-here so soon?"

Neji flickered his eyes at his cousin before looking back at Tenten with that indifferent look on his face. 

"I forgot my sociology book in my locker." 

Tenten, however, could not focus on the words he was speaking. He might as well been explaining how a frog's digestive system worked. All she could focus on was his face, that blank unchanging look…

"OHMYGOD NJEI, YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER LOOK DO YOU?" Tenten exploded, clenching her fists.

There was a shocked silence behind her, and Neji just stared with his void look. 

And so, Tenten finally snapped. One moment her fist was shaking at her side, the next it was making direct contact with Neji's face. 

Needless to say, after the punch was blown, Neji's facial expression did finally change to one of shock. It mirrored the looks on Hinata's, Ino's, and Sakura's faces. 

Tenten was grinning triumphantly. 

"You just punched me." Neji said, in a slightly bewildered tone. 

"Guess you should've given yourself more time to prepare," Tenten said with a smirk. She turned her face to her three friends. "See you guys tomorrow?"

As Hinata, Sakura, and Ino nodded mutely, Tenten flounced down the steps in utter peace and was so exhilarated she began to walk the long trek home.

The four on the steps just stood looking after her. Finally, Hinata, Ino, and Sakura grinned at each other. 

"Finally!" Sakura cried. "You did that perfectly, Ino! Wow, Hinata, your plan really worked!" 

"And Neji, your timing was so right on!" Ino cheered.

"Excuse me?" Neji asked, his facial expression going back to normal.

"We were just so sure this would work with Tenten just storming off after her and Ino got into their 'argument', go home and steam, then come to school and be pissed off enough at you to confront you, but wow, it's so amazing that it still worked with you coming up randomly!" Sakura cried.

"It worked better than we planned!" Hinata added, for once not stuttering. 

"Yeah, Good job Neji, your timing is perfection!" Ino said.

"Exactly! Although I thought you were backing out, Hinata, when you started rambling about stopping," Sakura said. "Until I saw Neji too."

"Yeah, but it worked perfectly!" Hinata grinned. "Especially since Ino did such a good job acting."

"Well, it wasn't hard," Ino said, flipping a ponytail over one shoulder. "You know how much I hate Temari."

Sakura checked her watch. "Hey, I'm hungry, how about we recap at that new ice cream place?"

"Oh yes, please," Hinata agreed. "I really want some hot fudge."

"So let's hit it," Ino said. "See you Neji!"

As the three girls ran down the stairs, laughing and happy over their plan, the Hyuuga only stood there.

"What the hell just happened?" He asked himself.

"Well, it would seem that those three girls made a plan to get Tenten to release her feeling without her knowing it, and without you knowing it, but you accidentally worked your way into their plan better than ever and sooner than hoped," Asuma said, walking out the school building with a cigarette in one hand and a textbook in the other. 

Neji just stared at the teacher, not even trying to figure out how long he had been standing there.

"Oh, and here," the dark-haired man went on, holding the textbook out. "Kurenai said you left this in her classroom."

Neji simply took the textbook from Asuma and walked away from the building, shaking his head. 

"Eh, kids these days," Asuma commented, lifting the cigarette to his mouth.

------------------------------------------------------

HAH! Tenten redeemed! Neji confused! Asuma still smoking! Plus a party invitation, a plot made by three friends, and none of the question from the end of Chapter 4 answered! Don't you just love fanfics?

Oh, and **A/N:** the quote "have you seen the unwashed miscreants that go to our school?" is directly from the most awesome movie 10 Things I Hate About You... though I can't remember if the exact quote is "... that go to our school..." or "...that go to that school..." Eh, je ne sais pas, just so you all know.

OH! Another **A/N**: I don't actually know whose birthday comes first, but for the sake of this fanfic, Kankuro's is first, and he is the oldest... And yes, I do know that in the real manga, Tenten, Neji, and Lee are older than everyone else, but again, for the sake of this fanfic, they are not. 

READ AND REVIEW! And wait for the next chapter! Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.


	6. The Telephone Game

CHAPTER 6: The Telephone Game

_**Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzz. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzz. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzz**_

"Hello." The boy answered, picking his vibrating phone from off his nightstand.

"Nara, is that you? Damn, I'm surprised to find you al-"

"OHEMGEE Shika, you're not dead! I'm going to kick your ass for no-"

"Where have you been these past few days?"

Shikamaru chuckled as he listened to his two best friends on the other ends of the call.

"I've been sick, I got food poisoning from the seafood I had with Temari on Tuesday-" Shikamaru began.

"I TOLD YOU THAT GIRL WAS TOXIC!" Ino yelped, almost jumping off her canopy bed in triumph.

"Ino, shut _up_!" Choji had to say these words around the three pretzel sticks he had just shoved into his mouth.

Both boys could hear the blonde girl suck her teeth in protest.

"Yeah, but anyway, Mom told me you two called... repeatedly. And that you brought over the flowers and soup yesterday." Shikamaru grimaced over the word 'soup'.

"It was Choji's idea," Ino admitted. "After I called you Wednesday afternoon, all your mom said was that you were violently ill the night before and that morning, and that you were currently sleeping. So we thought it would be nice to bring the stuff over yesterday night."

"Are you feeling better?" Choji said. "Kankuro's party is tomorrow, it would suck if you missed it."

"Yeah, Mom said she'd let me go, but I have to come home earlier than usual," Shikamaru said. "She's worried about me overexerting myself – and don't say it, Ino."

The girl became indignant. "What? I wasn't going to say anything at all, nothing about how your skank girlfriend has already been _overexerting_ you and in a dark corner of the park too-"

"CHOJI YOU TOLD INO THAT TEMARI GAVE ME A BLOW JOB IN THE PARK TWO WEEKS AGO!" Shikamaru roared, more statement than a question.

"NO I DID NOT! And keep your voice down, unless you want your parents to know about it," Choji said, sweat dropping from his seat on the kitchen floor, digging his hand into the pretzel bag again.

"Actually, Hinata told me," Ino replied, smirking as she settled back against her fluffy pillows. "She let it slip accidentally during Languages yesterday… and Temari had told her when she was at the siblings' house like on Sunday or whatever. It's so cute, Gaara had invited her over for dinner with the family."

Shikamaru groaned, sitting up on his bed before smacking himself in the forehead.

**Wait a minute, how can I get out of this... Got it! **The laazy genuis grinned in triumph.

He had just thought up a brilliant way to get off the phone with his best friends – okay, okay, mostly to get off the phone with Ino and her prying, making-Shikamaru-feel-embarrassed self.

"Oh, speaking of Hyuuga, that reminds me, I have to call Neji to get my World History homework from him, so why don't I call you guys back later?" Shikamaru asked, feeling only the slightest bit guilty. Unfortunately, his friends saw through his not-so-clever guise.

"Oh whatever, fine if you don't want to talk about this, I _so_ don't want to hear the details about it anyway," Ino said, giggling. "I'll see you boys both tomorrow at the party, okay?"

"Wait, aren't we all meeting at my house?" Choji asked after chuckling a moment too.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but the girls _really_ want to go shopping, and with all four of us going, I don't know how long it'll take or what time I'll even make it to the party," Ino lied to her guys.

Yes, Hinata, Skaura, Tenten, and she were going shopping before hand, but really she just did not want to be there when Temari opened the door to the three of them. Because Ino knew that the Suna girl would sneer at her, ignore Choji, and then maul Shikamaru, causing whatever deliciousness Ino would have devoured at Choji's house to projectile in the form of puke.

"Oh, okay then," Choji said, sounding like a lost child. There was a pause as he chewed on some more pretzels.

"But don't worry, I'll totally make it to the bash," Ino hurried on. "And listen, afterwards, me and you can chill at your house and eat leftovers."

"Alright," Choji said, sounding a bit happier.

"And what about me?" Shikamaru asked, feeling a tad left out of the conversation. "What am I, chopped liver?"

"I wonder if we have any liver in the house," Choji pondered aloud. "These pretzels are not hitting the spot as they should..."

"Choji. Eww. No liver." Ino said, wrinkling her nose. "And fine, fine, Mister I'm-so-sick-blah-blah-blah-and-have-to-leave-the-party-early, me and Choji will leave with you and then we can all relax at _your_ house."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. "I had to complain in order to hang out with you guys?"

"EXCUSE ME?" Ino demanded. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S ALWAYS WITH THAT WH-"

"Uh, he said nothing, see you guys at the party, Shikamaru, call Neji!" Choji said quickly.

"Uh, right, calling, later guys," Shikamaru said.

"Fine!" Ino said, rolling her eyes. "Later."

The three hung up the phone, Ino tossing her phone aside, Choji digging around from some crumbs at the bottom of the pretzel bag, and Shikamaru actually calling his stoic friend.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, the line was busy.

And that is because was the conversation between Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji was occurring, Neji was on the phone with Tenten.

_**Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzz. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzz. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzz.**_

"Hello." The boy answered, picking his vibrating phone from off his nightstand.

"Neji, is that you?" Tenten's asked, laying on the carpeted floor of her room.

"Tenten?" Neji asked, sitting up at the sound of her voice.

During the past week, the only responses Neji had gotten from Tenten in school were smirks as she passed by and glancing at him and his now faded black eye. When it had occurred, Neji was too surprised to really feel any pain, but the next morning, it throbbed and looked terrible. Neji had tried to talk to her, but she would just ignore him.

He tried calling her too, but every time got sent straight to voicemail, on both her cell – **_You've reached Tenten's phone, but I can't answer, probably training, if it's important leave a message!_** – And at home – **_You've reached the home of Tenten, who is currently unavailable. Please leave your name, number, and a message, and I'll attempt to get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks… Lee, is it finished recording? Yes? But look, the red light is still on… NO DON'T DO TH- okay, thanks Lee, yeah. It must definitely have stopped recording now that the little red light is dead. _**

Tenten sighed into her house phone. "Yeah, it's me. Listen, can I talk to Hinata?"

She really did not want to speak to Neji, but she had no other choice. She needed to talk to Hinata, who was not answering her cell, and she when she had called Gaara, he said that the shy girl was at home. And, as any sane person would do, Tenten absolutely _refused_ to call Hinata on her line at the Hyuuga Compound. The last time she had, a butler has yelled at her for 'trying to raise her own insignificant social status by associating herself with The Heiress.'

Clearly, her last method of getting in touch with Hinata was through the girl's cousin.

Neji, confused, frowned. "You realize this isn't Hinata's phone?"

"Yes, Neji, I know, she's not answering her own, and I refuse to call her line at the house. Can you please put her on for me?" Tenten sighed again, this time blowing her bangs upwards.

"So you call _my_ phone?" Neji was a bit incredulous, although nothing hinted at it in his tone of voice.

"What else was I supposed to do?" Tenten asked, getting impatient with the boy.

"I don't know, wait until tomorrow or try calling her later?" Neji said.

Tenten did not appreciate the sarcasm hinted in his voice. "I've been trying to call her since noon and it's already five! Please, could you just put her on the phone?"

"She's in the shower."

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" Tenten howled. Neji had to bring the phone away from his ear a bit.

"Why would I be lying?" The boy asked.

"To get back at me for hitting you and then ignoring you all week, maybe?" Tenten said as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, Tenten, that would be _you_ who tries to get vengeance on people when feeling wronged," Neji said.

"Yeah, okay, Mister I-hate-my-uncle. Who _else_ do you think I got it from?" Tenten almost shouted at him.

"That's so different, Tenten, and you know it," Neji responded.

"Oh, whatever, I give up!" Tenten said, exasperated. "Just put Hinata on the phone, _please_."

"I told you, she's in the shower."

"SHE'S NOT IN THE SHOWER NEJI, GO PUT HER ON THE PHONE!"

"Tenten, yes she _is_ in the shower. Not ten minutes before you called me she came into my room to ask if I knew where her shampoo was because she was going to take a shower."

"And then?" Tenten asked suspiciously.

"And then what?" Neji asked, become more frustrated than before.

"_Did_ you know where her shampoo was?"

"Of course I didn't, why would I?"

"…Well then, if you didn't have her shampoo to give to her, how do you know she's now in the shower? Why would she shower without her shampoo?" Tenten thought she was making perfectly logical sense.

Neji was just annoyed. "Because two minutes later she came back in to tell me that she found it in Hanabi's bathroom and was _going to go take a shower_."

"Oh." Tenten said, pausing. "Well, I'll just stay on the line until she gets out then."

"You still don't believe me."

"No, not really, no," Tenten admitted, laughing.

There was a long silence that wasn't awkward, just the breathing of Neji and Tenten over the line. Suddenly Tenten giggled.

"This kinda… well, it… sort of reminds me of the first time you called me on the phone," Tenten said, after awhile.

Neji let out an involuntary chuckle. "I know."

_Flashback_

_February, Freshman year_

_Thursday night_

_**Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.**_

"_Hello, Tenten, future weapons mistress speaking!" an eager, young female voice answered._

_Neji, on the other line, gulped. He shouldn't have called, he should have waited longer, he shouldn't have even asked the girl for it-_

"_HELLO?" Tenten's impatient voice sounded, breaking Neji out of his trance._

"_Hey." Neji said, mentally kicking himself over his amazing choice of words._

"_Neji, is that you? Hey! What's up?" Tenten asked, breaking into a wide smile and sinking down into her couch._

"_Nothing exceptional… and you?" Neji asked, deciding that he was not only going to kick himself, but also punch himself for being so conversational._

"_Oh, you know how it goes! I'm trying to get through some extra exercises Anko-sensei gave me."_

_Neji began to panic. "If I'm interrupting, I can just talk to you tomorrow-"_

"_NO!" Tenten practically howled. "I mean, it's fine, I'd rather talk to you anyway, even though I do love practicing with scrolls. You're a lot more interesting, and plus really good to talk to, I mean the scrolls don't talk back, and you're cute too, much better to look at then these old things."_

_There was a long pause that wasn't entirely awkward. Tenten was trying not to smash her head with the phone for being such an idiot and harping on and on about how wonderful she thought the boy was. Neji was sitting on his bed with a huge smile on his face, replaying over and over her words… "_I'd rather talk to you anyway_"… "_You're a lot more interesting_"… "_and you're cute too_"…_

_Realizing he hadn't said anything in a while, Neji began to blush. "You don't have to explain, I enjoy talking to you too. And I think you're really nice to look at."_

_This time, it was Neji's turn to want to bash in his head, and Tenten to replay the words spoken… "_I enjoy talking to you too_"… "_Really nice to look at_"…_

_The door to Neji's room was knocked on, loud enough for Tenten to hear too._

"_Master Neji, dinner is being served in the formal dining room," a voice informed._

"_Tenten, I have to go… see you tomorrow in school?" Neji asked._

"_Most definitely, I'll be there!" Tenten answered brightly._

"_Bye, Tenten."_

"_Bye Neji!"_

"I didn't get why you seemed so happy and eager to talk to me when I was a nervous wreck all over the place. You seemed so normal and chatty," Neji admitted.

Tenten laughed. "What? I was rambling and attacking like an idiot, I was so nervous! And you seemed so cool and calm, like you didn't really care that you had called me at all!"

Neji chuckled. "I guess I really didn't understand you back then, because that is not what I thought was happening."

"And you think you understand me now, Neji?" her voice was soft, and Neji detected a hidden meaning behind the words.

"Tenten, I-" Neji began.

_**BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.**_

"-hold on, okay Tenten?" When he heard a response from her, Neji pulled his phone away from his ear to see that it was Shikamaru on the other end.

"Sorry buddy," he said, clicking 'ignore'.

"Tenten, you are still there?" Neji asked.

"…Yeah… um, listen, just tell Hinata to call me, okay?" Tenten asked, sounding a bit distracted and distant.

"No, Tenten… I…" Neji took a long pause, dropping his head and not knowing what to say. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but until his friend had interrupted, he finally thought that they were making some sort of breakthrough.

Yet, instead of asking what she thought, he said, "Of course, I will tell her."

"Okay, thanks Neji… See you tomorrow? At the party?" Tenten asked.

Neji answered, "Yes. Bye, Tenten…chan."

Both teenagers hung up feeling more confused than before, Tenten dropping her shoulders and scrunching up her face, Neji letting his head fall forward into his hands.

And throughout her whole shower, Hinata's hands itched, making her wonder if the old superstition was true, and if people were talking about her.

"Or maybe it's just this new body wash I'm using," she said to herself, lifting up her left leg to scratch at her ankle.

--

What _did_ exactly happen those minutes before Shikamaru interrupted with his calls for homework? Is there liver in Choji's house? What exactly was making Hinata's hands and ankle itchy? And most important, what time will the girl's reach Kankuro's birthday parry after shopping??

More questions, no answers, and a new chapter coming up!


	7. More Flirting, More Confessions

CHAPTER 7: More Flirting, More Confessions

"Stop tugging down your skirt, Tenten. Hinata, quit biting your nails, okay! And Sakura FOR THE LOVE OF GOD your hair actually looks halfway decent, stop messing it up!" Ino snapped at her friends.

The foursome stood in front of the Sand Siblings porch as the party raged inside. The music was blasting, people inside were talking and laughing loudly, and a large unnecessary sign stating "PARTY IN HERE" was taped to the brown door.

Ino was, as usual, giving her friends critics and orders before anyone was allowed to knock on the door. Although she thought they all looked alright, she was still unsatisfied.

Maybe Tenten should have worn her hair down, since she was wearing a white tube top and blue miniskirt. Or Hinata, she could have worn the lilac tank dress instead of the blue one. And Sakura, where did she begin? Why that girl chooses that pink skirt with that black halter, she would never know.

Not to mention herself either. The black mini dress that just looked so cute in the store now seemed… sluttish.

"Can we just knock on the door?" Tenten asked, exasperated with her blonde friend already. "The party started around two hours ago and we've been standing here for five minutes already."

"Anxious to see how Neji cleans up, huh?" Sakura said, giving an exaggerated wink.

Tenten gave Sakura a death glare and grunted something about wanting to give Kankuro his gift.

Hinata, not bothering to check with Ino, just reached over and pushed the gourd-shaped doorbell.

"Hinata!" Ino cried as the door swung open, "We didn't even do a makeup check yet!"

"Don't worry, Ino," Temari said, standing in front of the door in a pink cocktail dress, "No amount of makeup could work for you."

Ino growled and looked about ready to pounce, was stopped by Tenten and Sakura who both held on to one of her arms.

"So you guys finally managed to make it here," Shikamaru said, appearing at the door behind Temari with Gaara. "Troublesome."

Both boys looked adorable with their button-down shirts, Shikamaru's in a deep blue and Kankuro's in a deep red, and jeans.

"Hey Hinata," Gaara said, clearly not able to take his eyes of the girl.

"Gaara… Shikamaru," Hinata said, blushing redder than Gaara's love tattoo.

"Are we allowed in or what?" Sakura demanded. "Hello, time to party!"

Shikamaru, Gaara, and Temari moved out of the way, and the four girls stepped into the dimly lit house.

"WHOOO, took you four long enough to arrive!" Naruto said from a couch against the right wall, raising a glass full of something orange. The drink matched his polo shirt, though he was wearing blue jeans.

"NOW THIS PARTY CAN GET STARTED!" Sai shouted, agreeing, also holding a glass full of something orange. Sai, fortunately, was not wearing anything that matched the drink. He was just in black pants and a black T.

Tenten grinned and looked around the room, seeing most of her friends there and recognizing a lot of kids from school.

"Yeah, we were late cause of this one," Sakura said, nudging her head in Ino's direction.

Ino looked indignant and glared. "Excuse me, forehead? You were the one who keep trying on those bathing suits-"

"OH! OH!" Sakura sputtered. "Blame it all on me when it was Hinata's idea to go into the lingerie store in the first place so she could see the bikinis!"

"Hey!" Hinata said, frowning and blushing after glancing at Gaara's grinning face, "Tenten was the one who saw the suits in the window and pointed them out, wanting to check out their halter tops-"

"Well excuse me, we wouldn't have even been in that section of the mall if Ino hadn't gotten that security guard in trouble by flirting with him in the food court!" Tenten said.

"Please tell me you took pictures of this shopping endeavor," Kankuro said with a smile, walking up to the group. He had a ridiculous paper crown on his head, khaki pants, and a black polo shirt.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The four girls cried immediately, grabbing Kankuro into a giant hug.

Sai and Naruto observed this from their seats.

"Damn," Naruto said. "I can't wait until it's my birthday."

"As if, baka," Sasuke said, standing next to the couch and eyeing the four girls practically squeeze Kankuro to death. Dressed in his emo-cool fashion, Sasuke was rocking black jeans and a tight black T shirt that helped many a girl admire his six pack beneath.

"Stupid Sasuke," Naruto muttered as he noticed another giggling girl pointing out his best friend's muscles.

"So, what'd you all get me?" Kankuro asked, flashing a half smile when the four girls let go of him.

"You'll just have to open your presents and find out," Ino said, giving him a wink. Temari rolled her eyes and began to take the presents from the girls.

"Yeah, well, that will have to wait until later. Despite your best efforts, you are not the last one to show up, Ino," the sand girl said.

Tenten dragged Ino away before she could even growl at Temari.

"Why do you let her get to you anyway?" Tenten asked, looking at her friend as they maneuvered around people with drinks and food into the kitchen.

Ino scowled. "Because she is such a… HOTTIE!"

"What?" Tenten asked, confused, slowly following Ino's gaze to see Choji, Kiba, and Shino laughing about something near a punch bowl.

"Who's a hottie?" Choji asked, confused in his cargo shorts and green polo shirt, looking at Ino.

"Clearly she's talking about me," Kiba said, winking and grinning. He was wearing light jeans and a crimson T shirt.

Tenten laughed at Ino's surprised face. "I think she's talking to our bugologist over there."

Shino blushed, and Ino continued to gawk. Gone was the oversized coat, a form-fitting navy polo shirt in its place and jeans.

Ino walked over slowly before punching Shino in the arm.

"Goddamn, Shino, why didn't you tell anyone you had such stellar arms under that ugly trench-thing you always wear?"

"You look nice too, Ino," Shino said, still blushing as Choji and Kiba snickered.

"But hey, don't mind us, we already know how hot we are," Kiba said, rolling his eyes at Tenten. She giggled.

"What's so funny?" Neji asked, walking up behind Tenten.

From Ino's wide eyes and grin, Tenten did not want to turn around and see how cute Neji probably looked.

Okay, she did want to see how cute he looked, but not at the expense of embarrassing herself and melting into a fan-girl like puddle.

Ever since their phone call, she had to admit, things had gotten better between them. It was much like the way they had acted when they were freshman, friendly, but still unsure about what they were exactly. And the last thing Tenten needed was to see him all dressed up. Neji was always hansom, but when he put effort into his looks, the effect was even more dazzling.

"It is a sad day when I'm no longer the hottest – or second-hottest, thanks to Shino – thing in the room," Ino said, giving a mock pout. "But it is what it is, I guess, I had to pass the baton sooner or later."

Tenten rolled her eyes and smiled as the boys all chuckled.

"I feel kinda bad now," Kiba said, scratching his head. "Are you trying to say that Choji, Tenten, and I, are in fact, not hot?"

Ino smirked. "Of course you three are hot, do I look like I would hang out with ugly people? All I'm saying is that you're not as hot as _me_."

"Thanks, Ino," Tenten said, shaking her head with a grin at her friend.

""If it's any consolation, I think you're hotter than anyone else in this room," Neji's deep voice said into her left ear.

Forgetting about the whole melting-into-a-fan girl-puddle-thing, Tenten whirled around in surprise and found herself nose-to-nose with Neji.

Surprisingly, it was he who blushed and backed away first.

"Oh damn," Tenten muttered as she eyed him, "Ino was right about the hotness."

He was dressed so simply, in dark jeans and a black button-down shirt that was open with a white T under it, but he made it look so amazing.

"And how do I look, Tenten, my YOUTHFUL Best friend?" Lee's voice said, behind Neji.

Tenten and Neji moved out of the doorway and deeper into the kitchen, allowing for everyone to see Rock Lee. Tenten, when she saw him in black shorts and regular green spandex-like shirt, could only stifle a giggle. Ino was not as nice.

"Oh Lee," The blonde said, shaking her head with a sigh, "I often wonder if you were dropped on your head as a baby."

Lee looked slightly confused. "Many times, actually. Why?"

"He just had to walk right into that one," Choji said, pouring himself some more punch.

"Walk right into what?" Lee asked, looking curious. "The kitchen?"

"Ugh, nothing, Lee, why don't we go find Sakura?" Tenten said, wincing to herself and knowing Sakura was going to beat her down for that later.

Rock Lee immediately brightened at the mention of his cherry blossom. "What a good idea!"

Tenten and Ino shot each other amused looks before Tenten left the kitchen, Lee trailing behind her.

They found Sakura in the living room, sitting on Sai's lap with one of those orange drinks in her hand. Naruto was still on the couch next to them.

Lee clutched at the front of his shirt and sighed heavily. "Oh, my sweet blossom, you do tease me so, flirting with other guys even as I know you love me truly."

Sakura blinked as Naruto and Sai snickered.

"You've really have got to stop saying things like that to her, Lee," Tenten said, shaking her head.

"Actually, I'm on his lap to make Naruto jealous, not you, Lee," Sakura teased.

"Usually I don't enjoy helping in doing so," Sai said, getting in on the joke, "but I do enjoy seeing Naruto squirm and really, nothing wrong with having a cute girl sitting on your lap."

"And I just need to add, that it is most definitely working," Naruto said, winking. "I'm green with envy."

Tenten laughed, but Lee just shook his head.

"Oh, that is what you say my Sakura, but I know the truth…" And with that, he walked away in search of only he knows what.

Hinata and Gaara came up to them, Gaara's arm around Hinata's waist.

"Everyone enjoying the party?" Gaara asked, smiling. Naruto frowned, muttered something about cactuses, and got up, retreating into the kitchen.

Tenten and Sakura both raised their eyebrows as Hinata blushed.

"We're having a most fun time," Sai said, raising his glass in Gaara's direction.

Gaara, however, had a frown on his face that mirrored Naruto's, and said nothing.

"Oh Sai," Sakura grumbled, shaking her head at the dark haired boy, "All you had to say was 'yeah, this party's a blast'. I swear, you're worse than Rock Lee sometimes."

"IS THAT MY SAKURA CALLING MY NAME?" Said Lee called out from somewhere in the house.

"NO!" Sakura howled, causing Sai to wince.

"Ouch, Sakura. Right in my ear," He said, rubbing at his left ear with his hand.

Despite Sakura's protest that she did not call Lee, he appeared in the living room with Neji in tow, phone in hand.

Sakura sighed contentedly when she saw the pale-skinned boy.

"Wow, Hinata, your cousin is really something when he cleans up," She said. "If he and Tenten weren't so… um… well… weren't so whatever they are, I would be on that like white on rice. Those lips, oh-my-God, it's like-"

"Ew!" Hinata clapped her hands to her ears. "Family, remember?"

Tenten said nothing, not bothering to remark on the comment about her and Neji being… whatever they were and not disagreeing with Sakura's opinion on Neji's lips.

"MY SAKURA, I KNOW YOU CALLED MY NAME, BUT I SHALL JUST WAIT OVER HERE UNTIL YOU ADMIT IT!" Lee yelled from across the room.

Tenten felt something vibrating in her skirt pocket, and reached down to get her phone.

She had a new text message from Neji.

**its warm in here wanna go outside with me?**

Tenten looked up to see Neji looking at her, a question on his face. She looked down and grinned, typing out a message of her own.

"Good, maybe he'll stay there until graduation," Sakura said, causing Sai and Gaara to snicker.

**not particularly but i will neway cuz u look so pathetic**

Tenten couldn't help herself. It was what she would've said to Neji two years ago, and it was what she felt like saying now. He had always appreciated her jokes like no one else.

"Aww, come on guys, we all know we all love Lee to death," Hinata said, cracking her own smile.

A moment later, Tenten watched as Neji flipped open his phone to read her message.

"Isn't it the truth, though?" Sakura said, grinning back.

He looked up at her with a smirk on his face, and slightly nudged his head in the direction of the front door.

"I'll be back," Tenten said vaguely to the people around her, making her way to the door after sliding her phone back into her pocket. At Sakura's surprised face, Hinata casually stretched and looked in Neji's direction as he made his way to the door too. Sakura grinned brightly.

Neji met Tenten in the doorway, opening the door and holding it open for her as they walked out together.

"Tenten, what are we going to do with ourselves?" Neji wasted no time in asking as they slowly walked down the street.

Tenten sighed. "If I knew, we wouldn't be in this position. Half the time I feel like I don't know you, the other half I feel as though we're still best friends and maybe something more-"

"I want us to call a truce," Neji said suddenly, cutting her off.

"A truce?" Tenten was confused as to what exactly he had in mind.

"I- I missed you when I was gone, so damn much" Neji admitted, looking away from her as they stopped walking. "And I still do miss you. I'm tired of not being able to say what I want to you, tired of having you be cautious around me. I know it's not going to be like it was before, but I want you back, Tenten. I need for you to trust me again, to be there for me and to know I'll be there for you."

Tenten blinked rapidly, not saying anything for a few minutes. "But… you left, Neji. You didn't say goodbye, you didn't contact anyone, you return randomly. And then, you treated me like a child-"

"I did not!" Neji said, frowning.

"- And a doormat." Tenten continued.

"Okay, I patronized you a little bit, but that was because-"

"You ignored me-"

"Only because I was unsure about your feelings towards me, Tenten! Hell, I'm still confused-"

"And then you not only flirt with me but kissed me as well!" Tenten said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Neji gave her a look. "Tenten, was there ever a time when we knew each other that we weren't flirting? And come on, I love kissing you. I couldn't help myself; it had been so long since I was able too-"

Tenten could not disagree with either of those statements, but she scoffed. "And whose fault is that, Neji?"

Neji shifted uncomfortably. "Tenten, there's something I have to tell you. You know when I said I left because of a girl? Well, she-"

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Please, stop it, right now this isn't even about why you left anymore, okay? You know, we finally got to a pattern where we're sort of comfortable with each other and now you drop all these bombs on me? Neji, I don't know if things are going to be able to go back to the way they were, okay? I barely know if things are going to be able to stay the way they are between us now!"

"Yes," Neji said, simply. "But they can and will. Please, promise me you'll try to trust me."

"Neji, I'll try, okay, but I don't even know what you want of me, exactly! When you left we hadn't established what we were then! What do you want from me, to be what, your best friend? Your guidance counselor? Your crush?"

"All of the above," Neji said, "And none of the above."

Tenten let out an involuntary chuckle. "Neji, I don't think you even know what you want."

Neji regarded her for a moment. "I know one thing I want."

And if Tenten hadn't been so mesmerized by Neji's lips coming closer to hers, she would have laughed at the ultimately cheesy line.

Tenten could've stayed there forever, standing on the sidewalk, Neji's lips pressed firmly against hers. His lips were soft and sweet, just like the kiss, sending butterflies up and down Tenten's spine.

"NEJI! TENTEN!" A male voice said, surprising Tenten as Neji immediately moved away from her. That did not, however, stop the boy who had yelled from launching himself at the couple and pulling them into a hug.

"Kiba?" Tenten asked, bewildered, as the dreamily effects of kissing Neji began to wear off.

Kiba's head fell back as he regarded the two of them, still keeping them in his vice-like squeeze. His eyes were slightly glazed over.

"I just love you guys, you know that?" Kiba asked, grinning at them.

"Kiba, are you drunk?" She asked, shooting an apologetic look at Neji. Him kissing her would certainly not fix all their problems, but she couldn't lie. All she wanted to do was kiss Neji half the time.

And from the scowl etched into his face, Tenten saw that he felt the same way.

"Maybe only slightly," Kiba promised, winking at Tenten. Tenten swore she heard Neji growl.

"Kiba!" Ino appeared, walking towards the three. "Get off of them _right now_."

Slightly scared at her tone of voice, Kiba immediately let go of the two, just to latch himself onto Ino instead.

"We uh, didn't mean to interrupt," Ino said to Neji and Tenten while trying to hold Kiba upright. "I came with Kiba so he could get some fresh air."

"Who wants to be indoors all night long anyway?" Kiba shouted, not seeming to be looking for an answer.

"Yeah, so we'll just, uh, be going back the way we came then," Ino said, shooting Tenten an apologetic look.

"Oh it's okay, we were just… talking," Tenten said, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

Ino said nothing, just raised one blonde eyebrow inquiringly at Tenten, before walking back to the party, Kiba drooped all over her.

Neji smirked at Tenten after Ino and Kiba were out of sight. "So we were 'just talking', huh?"

Tenten punched Neji in the arm and rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, shut up."

Neji raised an eyebrow at her that seemed to say, _see? It's just like old times already._

Instead, he said something different. "Listen, what are you doing tomorrow?"

Tenten looked at him, surprised. "Sleeping late to rejuvenate from this party. Then hanging out with Sasuke."

"Sasuke?" Neji looked partly surprised, and partly jealous. Tenten had to laugh at him.

"I'm helping him with some target practice."

"What about next Saturday? Are you free?" Neji asked.

Tenten slowly nodded, wondering where this was going. "Yeah…"

"Good. Don't make any plans, alright? Meet me at the Compound around noon. There's… there's something I want to show you, but it's going to take all day."

Tenten was confused. "All day? Why?"

Neji just smiled down at her. "You promised you were going to try to trust me, remember?"

"Fine," Tenten grumbled. "We should be making our way back to the party.

As they walked back, Neji gently took her and in his, squeezing it slightly.

Tenten couldn't help but squeeze back just a little. Nothing was really resolved, but in some ways, things were.

--

What is the surprise Neji has for Tenten? Will things every really be resolved between them? Will Neji and Tenten kiss again? (You bet, if either one of them has something to say about it). And why is this author making a habit of asking annoying questions to the reader at the end of her chapters?? WILL THE WORLD EVER KNOW?


	8. Why Tenten Hates Surprises

CHAPTER 8: Why Tenten Hates Surprises

"This week just dragged on and on and on," Tenten said to Ino as they made their way towards Ino's house.

It was Friday afternoon, a bright and sunny day, warm like it was June.

"Argh. Tell me about it," Ino said stretching her arms back before shaking them. "And just plain annoying. What was with all the homework? And that project that's due for Kakashi? He probably made that up on the spot because we were all complaining about how late he was to class."

"Of course," Tenten agreed, sighing.

Ino said, "I would ask you if you wanted to stay over tonight to work on it, but I know you'll be too busy visualizing your _romantic_ meeting with Neji tomorrow."

Tenten groaned. "Ino, stop saying that. I'm pretty sure this is just his way of apologizing for being such a crap bag. The most that's going to happen is that he's probably going to tell me what happened when he was gone and the details of why he left or whatever."

"Psh. He's so going to have some romantic candle lit dinner in the backyard, or something, and then kiss you after you finish with dessert... and then, after that, he's going to announce his undying love, and how he'll never leave you again…" Ino got a dreamy-eyed look about her as she trailed off.

"Um, yeah, okay!" Tenten said, laughing. "Are you forgetting that we're talking about Neji?"

Ino pursed her lips. "No, we're not talking about Neji, we're talking about you and Neji."

Tenten raised one eyebrow. "Care to explain?"

Ino sighed like the task of doing so would be very difficult for her. "Neji, alone, is a rude smartass, who although is extremely hot and could have anyone in the school, doesn't check any girl out. His most common phrases are all things that make him look superior to everyone else, and his favorite word is 'hn'."

"Ino, wasn't the point of this to disprove my point that Neji is not the romantic type of guy? Cause you're doing it wrong," Tenten said, not unkindly.

Ino ignored her and continued. "But, when one throws _you_ into Neji's atmosphere, it's like a complete turnaround. Yes, he's still the rude smartass with superior remarks, but he becomes a rude smartass who is completely head over heels in like. Besides Lee, you're the only one who he _really_ talks to, and Neji only talks to Lee because Lee annoys the hell out of him until he does. Despite the admirerable self-restraint that he shows for a guy his age, he can't seem to keep his eyes off you, and he touches you all the time. No one can say a bad word against you except for him, unless they want a total beat down, and you're the only person that he shows emotion for. With everyone else, he shows annoyance, blankness, and smugness. With you, the ranges go from amusement to confusion to adoration to exasperation to teasing to slyness to understanding to kindness to-"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Tenten cried, putting her hands up. "Neji likes me, dislikes everyone else, and talks to Lee to avoid being annoyed to death."

Ino grinned and punched Tenten in the arm. "Don't get smart with me, you totally know what I'm talking about, you just like to see me bothered."

"Only a little bit," Tenten grinned back.

"But seriously, you do see where I'm coming from, right?" Ino asked.

"Yes, Ino, I do. But you know, Neji and I have always clicked, and you saw him in school, he wasn't throwing off any Tenten-I-worship-the-ground-you-walk-on-and-just-want-to-shove-you-into-Gai's-empty-classroom-while-we-walk-by-it-on-the-way-to-lunch-while-everyone-else-is-up-ahead-and-talking-about-Kankuro's-party-and-then-stay-there-for-two-periods-making-out-with-you vibes."

"Okay, wow, that was oddly specific," Ino said, now her turn to raise one eyebrow.

Tenten smiled but said nothing. Ino, realizing Tenten would continue to say nothing just sighed.

"Well, okay, so he doesn't want Gai walking in on you two making out. Who would? So he and his Lee can give you their 'nice guy' creepy smile and wink combo before going on and on about how their flower has bloomed or something?"

"Well, that is true," Tenten said.

"Besides, there's been some definite flirtage going on between you two. So this whole routine thing you guys have, slipping back into your old friendship like it's nothing? First, not everyone can do that, and second, it is not _just_ platonic." Ino said.

Tenten admitted, "Well, whatever he's got planned for Saturday, it's making me nervous."

"No shit, Tenten, surprises always make you nervous, and you freak out over them," Ino said.

Tenten was incredulous. "What? I do not."

Ino chuckled. "You totally spazzed yesterday when Kurenai pulled out those worksheets that you thought were pop quizzes."

"That wasn't my fault! When she told us to take everything off of our desks and take out a pencil, what else was I supposed to do?" Tenten protested.

Ino laughed. "Um, let's see, you could've tried not yelling at her about how we had just had a test the day before, so what the heck did we learn in order to deserve a quiz?"

"Everyone was thinking it," Tenten muttered. "That doesn't prove that I'm bad when it comes to surprises."

"Oh yeah? You remember the surprise sweet sixteen we threw for you sophomore year?" Ino asked, lifting up her shirt slightly and pointing to a scar near her hip bone.

_Flashback_

_March, Tenten's birthday, Sophomore year_

_Saturday night, at Sakura's house_

"_That movie was so good, Hinata!" Tenten exclaimed as they walked up the driveway to Sakura's house. "I'm glad you talked me into seeing it."_

_Only one light was on, Sakura's bedroom, which Tenten found a bit bizarre, but maybe she was trying to save electricity or something. Sakura had already told them –Ino, Hinata, and Tenten- that her parents were going to be gone all weekend, so they could have a sleepover in honor of Tenten turning sixteen._

_To be honest, Tenten was excited about that; she hated big parties and was glad no one bothered her about throwing one. The weekend was going to be one of the best ever, she could feel it. After school on Friday, Neji had taken her out to dinner, which was so sweet, movies with Hinata earlier in the day, a sleepover with the girls, and then just hanging out with Lee tomorrow afternoon. Yup, a nice, peaceful birthday weekend, just the way Tenten wanted it to go. _

_Hinata nodded, agreeing, looking a bit nervous. "It was amazing. That one scene, where the guy's girlfriend just popped out? It was so shocking!"_

"_I know!" Tenten giggled as they reached Sakura's door. "I mean, it's different when you're surprised in battle or something and the adrenaline is pumping and it doesn't really matter because you're just ready to kick ass, but to have it pop out of no where in your face in regular life? I would have totally freaked!"_

_Hinata turned paler than usual, but Tenten didn't notice in the moonlight._

"_W-what do you mean?" She asked her brunette friend._

"_Oh, you know," Tenten said, ringing the doorbell. "Things like surprise parties, or whatever. I hate those kinds of things."_

"_Y-y-you d-do?" Hinata asked. "Uh, maybe I should tell yo-"_

_Sakura opened the door with a wide grin. "Come on in!"_

"_Tenten, wait-" Hinata tried, but it was too late._

_Tenten walked into Sakura's house, frowning at the darkness._

"_Hey, what's with the-"_

"_Happy birthday, Tenten," Neji whispered into her left ear._

"_AHHH!" Tenten, stunned as hell, screamed and almost ripped her jeans pockets pulling out her kunai knife. And then…_

"_SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TENTEN!" At least thirty voices screamed at her and the lights flashed on at the exact same time she threw the kunai blindly. And began to reach into her bag for more._

_Because what else was a weapons lover supposed to do?_

"_DUCK!" A voice that sounded like Rock Lee yelled out. Everyone yelped and hit the floor, trying the dodge the flying weapon. _

_Tenten herself was tackled to the floor by Neji who was saying something about how she should not attack the guests._

"_OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Howled a voice that was just not quick enough to dodge the kunai._

_Tenten was still on the ground dazed, Neji sitting up next to her. Slowly she sat up and saw four things all at once. First, she saw how nicely decorated Sakura's house was, with balloons and streams and a huge banner that read, 'OUR YOUTHFUL TENTEN IS SIXTEEN, YAY!'. The second thing she saw were all of her friends staring at her in shock. The third thing she saw was Ino, standing there with a dazed look on her face, gripping her stomach. Last, she saw her kunai on the floor near Ino, stained red with blood._

"_OHMYGOD I CUT INO!" Tenten cried out, looking and feeling horrified._

_Everyone shifted their gaze to Ino, and then back to Tenten._

_Finally, after what seemed like forever, Ino grinned at her friend. _

"_Alright, let's try that again. I'm going to go bandage myself up, and you and Hinata wait outside for five minutes. Then, you guys can come back in and you can enjoy your party and not throw things at your well-wishers."_

_Oddly enough, it was Shikamaru that was the first person to start laughing, pulling Ino into a hug. _

_Tenten, though, was the second, laughing louder than everyone else, leaning on Neji for support._

Tenten winced. "Yeah, I know."

Ino grinned nonchalantly. "Ancient history. Besides, your cake was delicious. And it was fun, you know, after that whole freak-out."

The two had almost reached Ino's house when Ino's cell phone went off.

"Oh, Ino, still the Barbie Girl song?" Tenten asked, shaking her head sadly.

"Oh, shut up," Ino glared, flipping her phone open. "Hello… Oh, hey Mom… No, I'm almost home, Tenten's with me, she's going to help me with my Logic and Tech homework… Huh?... Oh, no, it's okay, I can do it… No, don't worry about it… Okay, love you too… See you when we get home… Okay, bye!"

"What was all that about?" Tenten asked, as Ino put her phone away and veered to the right.

To the left was the Shop District, where Ino's home and her parent's shop was; to the right was the park.

"Mom left some of her pruning gear in the greenhouse. She was here earlier helping out or something. You don't mind right?" Ino asked as they entered the park.

Tenten shook her head. "No, it's fine."

"Good, because you were going to come with me, regardless or whether you wanted to or not," Ino said, laughing.

Tenten rolled her eyes, and Ino was still giggling when they reached the greenhouse.

"It wasn't that funny," Tenten pointed out, shooting her friend an odd look. "This isn't another one of those surprise things, is it? Is that why you brought up the party? OHMYGOD YOU'RE IN ON WHATEVER NEJI IS DOING AND IT'S RIGHT NOW INSTEAD OF TOMORROW! HOW COULD YOU TWO DO THIS TO ME, YOU KNOW I-"

"Kami, calm down, Tenten!" Ino said, looking bewildered. "This really is about getting my mom her pruning gear and nothing else."

"I guess," Tenten said suspiciously, glancing around her as Ino pulled open the greenhouse door.

"Okay, paranoid much?" Ino asked as they walked into the greenhouse. "Oh, look, there's Mom's stuff."

Tenten watched as Ino raced over to a pair of pink gloves, purple watering can, and semi-rusty garden shears between the tulips and wildflowers.

"Alright, got them," Ino said, pushing the gardening gear into her bag with one big swoop.

"Now, imagine if you had done that and the watering can hadn't been empty," Tenten said, shaking her head. "And to think, on Monday, you were trying to figure out why there was dirt and rose seeds on your gym shirt!"

Ino giggled. "I had been helping Daddy arrange bouquets for some wedding. The arrangements were so beautiful, Tenten, you should've seen them! White roses with Baby's Breath and-"

Tenten laughed, and cut her friend off. "Um, okay, Ino, never mind. But when Iruka does a notebook check and there are leaves and dirt in your notebook, remember, it's your fault."

"Oh whatever, I'll just wear that really cute tank top, you know, the blue one that totally shows off my boobs?" Ino asked.

Tenten laughed. "You know that only works with Jiraiya."

"You're right," Ino giggled as she opened the greenhouse door so they could walk outside.

As the two stepped outside, they realized they weren't alone, and both of them stood frozen in the doorway.

"Why did you even come here?" Neji asked.

His back to Ino and Tenten, he was talking to a woman who couldn't have been older than twenty four. She had long brown hair, and sunglasses on that covered half her face.

"I missed you too much!" She cried, pitching herself forward to give Neji a hug.

Instead of pushing her away, though Neji sighed and hugged her back for a moment.

"You can't just show up like this, though, Ihimi," Neji said when they pulled away.

"Why not?" The woman, Ihimi, sounded indignant.

Neji sighed. "It's complicated."

Ihimi snorted. "It's always complicated with you, Neji."

Neji grunted. "Hn."

"Yeah, that's right, do that weird little noise thing at me again, just like always. I don't understand you at all! You know, we meet each other, and you come to be with me randomly months later, stay a whole year, acting strange and stiff and stoic the whole time, then leave out of the blue, saying goodbye in a letter about some girl but thanking me for everything! What the hell, huh?" Ihimi ranted.

Neji repeated, "It's complicated."

"Argh! And even now, you just stand there with that stupid emotionless look on your face! Do you even know any other emotions?" Ihimi asked, clearly upset.

"Why is it," Neji asked, "that all the women in my life seem prone to asking me that?"

"Oh! So I'm back in your life now, huh?" Ihimi asked.

"Ihimi," Neji said.

"Fine, whatever. But why did you leave, Neji? For that matter, why did you even bother to come?" Ihimi asked.

"You read my letter," Neji said, a statement and not a question.

"Of course I did," Ihimi answered anyway. "But I think it was a mistake. Come back, Neji. Please."

Neji said nothing, which, to Tenten, was almost as bad as agreeing.

Who was this woman, anyway? It was clear that this person was the person Neji left to be with, but wasn't she a little too old for him? What exactly was going on?

Tenten was confused as hell. And that was the answer to why she hated surprises so much. She liked to be in charge, to be able to know what was going on. It was the reason why she didn't like meeting new people, because she didn't know them. It was one of the reasons why she freaked so bad when Neji left. It was the reason why she didn't know how to act and behaved like a weirdo when Neji returned. And it was the reason why, now, she just stood watching this encounter.

"Oh, Neji," Ihimi muttered sadly, looking away from the boy.

It was then that she noticed Tenten and Ino, and gasped in surprise. Neji, too, turned around, and he paled visibly.

"Um, we're, uh, so sorry, we didn't mean to uh, eavesdrop, but the gardening tools, and then the boob shirt and the giggling and the…" Ino trailed off and laughed nervously.

Tenten just stared at Neji, who simply stared back at her.

Ihimi was indignant. "Don't you know it's rude to listen in on other people's private conversations, especially when you don't know them? Why-"

"Ihimi. Shut up." Neji said, not even bothering to look back at her.

He, instead, continued to stare at Tenten. It was quiet for what seemed like a long while.

Tenten finally turned to look at Ino. "You ready to go back now?"

"Uh, y-yeah, of course," Ino stuttered, shooting Tenten a confused look.

Tenten nodded, and looked back at Neji. "I'll see you tomorrow then, okay? I think we have a lot of things to talk about, don't you?"

Neji nodded. "Though I suppose it's me who's going to have to do most of the talking."

Tenten gave him a half smile, before walking away, back to the direction of the park entrance, Ino following behind.

"What just happened there, ohmygod, who was that person?" Ino asked as soon as they exited the park.

"I have no idea," Tenten admitted, taking a deep breath in.

"Are you okay?" Ino asked, furrowing hr eyebrows.

Tenten chuckled. "I think so, but you know me, Ino. I just hate surprises."

--

Why was Tenten so calm? Who was that women, in relation to Neji, exactly? Why did Neji leave? What does/did Neji have planned for Tenten? And finally, why do all the women in Neji's life seem prone to asking him about his blank faces?

This author has all the answers to these questions (except, maybe this last one) and to all the questions in previous chapters! STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER, AND ANY FUTURE CHAPTERS TO COME!


	9. All the Answers

CHAPTER 9: All the Answers

Tenten buzzed in at the front gate of the Compound via the intercom.

"The Home of the Esteemed Clan Hyuga, who may I ask is calling?" Tenten scowls, recognizing the voice of a particular butler.

"Um. It's Tenten, I'm here for Neji?" Tenten says through the intercom.

"Please hold as I ask Master Neji is he would like to talk to such riffraff." The butler says before the line cuts.

Tenten's scowl deepens. "I'll riffraff you, you son of a…"

It reminds her of the first time she ever visited the Compound.

_Flashback_

_October, sophomore year_

_Tuesday afternoon_

"_Hot damn, Neji, Hinata! Look at the size of this place!" Tenten said, staring at the group of building in awe. It's a massive, sprawling place, surrounded by a very thick wall with spikes on top._

_Hinata giggled softly. "Though I'm not sure why they bother with the spikes. Anyone trying to climb over would just be gentle-fisted to death before they realized what was happening."_

"_Hn," Neji agreed._

_Tenten gulped and made a mental note to never try to sneak news of the outside world to Hinata or Neji if either of them were grounded._

_Neji moved to buzz in at the gate, but the wrought-iron swung open immediately._

"_Well, that's what I call service," Tenten grinned as she stepped inside the Compound. Immediately, there were seven dark haired, light-eyed people surrounding her, in battle stance. Tenten shrieked, and flipped over two of them, whipping out a scroll at the same time._

"_TWENTY SEVEN!" Hinata shouted as the guards were about to make a move. _

_Bowing to Hinata first, and then to Neji, they dispersed as quickly as they have converged. _

"_Twenty seven?" Tenten asked, more interested than anything else, as she began to roll her scroll up again._

_Hinata rolled her eyes, an action that was rarely seen by anyone. "It's the code word. Whenever we first bring a guest over, our guards immediately assume a threat, even if we all seem civil enough. This week, 'twenty seven' is 'stop! Don't kill our friend!' and 'eighty three' is 'go on, pummel him/her to death'." _

"_Ah. And I couldn't have been forewarned about this?" Tenten asked, glaring. _

"_Neji, didn't you tell her this beforehand? You promised you would," Hinata said, frowning._

"_Hn," Neji smirked. "I guess I forgot."_

"_You are a jerk, you know that?" Tenten stated rather than asked. _

_They walked up to the main door, which swung open before any of them had stepped on the brown welcome mat._

"_Mistress Hinata, Master Neji, and…" The butler at the door trailed off and frowned, looking at Tenten. "…and riffraff."_

"_RIFFRAFF?!" Tenten exploded, reaching for another scroll._

_Neji put a restraining hand on her arm, just in time for Hiashi to walk by the open doorway._

_He paused to look at Neji, Tenten, and Hinata. _

"_You are that boisterous girl from the Ramen Stand," was his comment._

"_I prefer the term 'energetic', myself," Tenten answered before thinking. _

_Neji began to shake with laughter as Hinata turned her face away to smile. _

_The butler was indignant. "Apologize immediately, you common lowlife-"_

"_Finish that sentence, please," Neji said, not laughing anymore, but smirking evenly. "So I may have an excuse to finally beat you to an almost death."_

"_Still causing trouble, I can see," Hiashi commented. "Try not to break anything."_

_The four at the door stared as Hiashi simply walked away. The butler moved out of the doorway with a dignified sniff._

"_Huh," Tenten says, walking into the house after Hinata and Neji. "I guess you Hyuga's have weak spots for people like me."_

"_And by 'people like me'," Neji asked, "You mean boisterous riffraff?"_

"_Precisely," Tenten said, winking._

"_Yes," Neji answered. "You do seem to hold a special place for us."_

"Tenten," Neji said, appearing before her.

"Neji," Tenten replied, looking into his beautiful eyes.

"Let's take a walk," Neji stated more than suggested.

Tenten said nothing, just began to trudge alongside Neji as they made their way down the road away from the Compound, but still on Hyuga land. The Compound was set in the middle of around one hundred acres, after all.

They walk in silence for a few moments, before Neji takes a deep breath in.

"Shall I start at the beginning?" He asked her.

Tenten smiled. "Hn."

Neji chuckled. "Okay, I deserved that."

"Start with when you first met… Ihimi?" Tenten said. "That's her name, right?"

Neji nodded. "I first met her in the Park. It was two days before I had first kissed you, when we were sophomores."

"Go on," Tenten said, intrigued.

Neji hesitated.

"Or not. Take your time, we have all day," Tenten said.

They had reached the Pond Garden, a few miles east of the main house.

Tenten had always loved the garden; it was very Zen, very serene. Yet now, Tenten could see a lone figure sitting on one of the benches.

"It's no that I'm having trouble telling you, exactly," Neji said. "It's just that you're going to need to see something before I finish explaining this to you."

They neared the actual pond, and the figure stood up.

"You know, this really isn't necessary," Tenten said. "I have a theory. I can tell you it right now."

Neji chuckled. "It's not what you think, Tenten."

"And how exactly do you know what I'm thinking?" Tenten demanded.

"I didn't have a one night stand with her, leave with her because she got pregnant, and then left again because I discovered that the baby isn't actually mine," Neji said.

Tenten shot him an odd look. "Whoa. Okay. That was _not_ what one of my theories was!"

"Hn," Neji said thoughtfully. "But you know Lee. He has an overactive imagination, and that was what he thought you would think."

Tenten laughed, finishing as they stopped in front of Ihimi.

"Hello, Tenten," she said. "Pleasure to meet you. Believe it or not, I've heard a lot of stories."

"Hi," Tenten said, extending her hand. Tenten noticed that the woman was still wearing sunglasses, like before, and a suspected thought was being completed in her head.

Ihimi and her shook.

"Well, this is more civil than I expected," Neji said, motioning for Ihimi and Tenten to sit down on the bench. Neji sat on a rock in front of them.

Tenten scowled. "Despite what your household staff believes, I am not riffraff. It's not like I'm going to kunai you two and hide the bodies in the pond."

Neji chuckled. "That was oddly specific, don't you think, Tenten?"

He and Tenten shared a smile and Ihimi raised an eyebrow.

Neji said, "Okay, Ihimi. Show her."

Ihimi took off her sunglasses, and showed Tenten what she had expected.

A pair of light lavender eyes.

"You don't seem surprised," Ihimi commented.

Tenten smiled. "My theory was right, after all. You're Neji's half-sister aren't you?"

Neji and Ihimi both blinked at Tenten in surprise.

Tenten continued. "You two share the same father, don't you? But you're dad was married to Neji's mother, and had a fling with your mother, Ihimi, before that. So then your mom took you away, Ihimi, and when you two met at the Park, you realized that you guys were related. And then, Neji, you went to live with your sister to get to know her."

After a long moment, Ihimi and Neji stared to laugh.

Tenten frowned.

"That's… not exactly it, Tenten," Neji explained. "Yes, Ihimi and I are related, but she's not my sister."

"Your aunt, then?" Tenten asked.

"Tenten, I'm not Neji's sister, or aunt, or cousin," Ihimi said. "I'm his grandmother."

Tenten, shocked by this statement, said nothing.

"Tenten?" Neji asked, looking worried.

"No." Tenten said, beginning to giggle.

"Tenten, it's true," Neji said, nodding.

Tenten began to laugh even harder. "H-his grandmother! HAH! So what, you had a child when you were around seven or something?"

Ihimi shook her head. "Tenten. I speak the truth."

Tenten, noticing the serious tone, stopped laughing. "I… I don't understand how this is possible. Where did the Hyuga eyes come from, then? Neji told me that his mother wasn't part of the clan, and I've met Hiashi's mother, and-"

"You've been introduced to old lady Hyuga?" Ihimi asked, looking impressed.

"Hn," Neji said, sounding a bit proud. "I must admit, she loves Tenten. She says that Tenten is an amusement."

"That's not the point," Tenten said, though she did like the old lady too. "How are you his grandmother? You can't be more than thirty, if that!"

"I didn't think that my mother was a Hyuga," Neji explained. "But apparently, she was."

"My father was the youngest brother of a Main Branch leader," Ihimi explained. "He had an affair with my mother. Thus, I inherited the eyes. However, I was not considered a Hyuga, even though I was my father's only child."

"Wow," Tenten said, speechless.

"Yes. And so, I got married, and had Neji's mother. It must have been destiny, because she later married Neji's father and had Neji here," Ihimi explained.

"We'll never know why my mother did not inherit the eyes, though," Neji said, sounding a bit disappointed. "Usually, they are a dominant trait, in both men and women."

"Okay, so I get the lineage," Tenten said. "But how the heck do you look so young?!"

Ihimi chuckled. "You didn't think that that principal of yours came up with the jutsu to look young all by herself, did you?"

Tenten gasped. "You invented that? But Tsunade-sama always said-"

"Yes, I know what she always tells people, that liar," Ihimi said good-naturedly. "But no. I did most of the work."

Tenten chuckled. "Okay, then. So you two realized you were long lost, and Neji decided to go live with you. But why didn't you tell anyone, Neji?"

Ihimi got up suddenly, putting her sunglasses back on. "This is where I exit. You're exactly like I thought you would be, Tenten. Neji, I'll see you later."

Tenten watched as Ihimi walked off, and Neji got up to sit next to Tenten on the bench.

"Tenten, picture this for me. After years of having to deal with a snobby uncle and the idea of your father dying for him, never really knowing half of your ancestry, you suddenly discover your grandmother… and she just happens to look like someone's older sister." Neji asked.

"Hn," Tenten said, not even realizing she had stolen Neji's favorite sound.

"Hn," Neji repeated back, smirking. "What would you do then, Tenten, if said grandmother invited you to live with her for a year, so you could get to know each other and find out about another side of yourself?"

"… I would probably say yes," Tenten admitted, "Considering I go away to my grandparents' house every summer anyway."

"Tenten," Neji smirked some more.

"Alright, alright. Unfair comparison. But Neji, I would certainly tell my best friends. I mean, you didn't leave until later on in the summer anyway. You could've wrote to me, or visited. And you had no excuses for not telling Lee or Hinata."

Neji blushed, something that Tenten really loved to see, especially since it rarely happened. "I didn't tell Hinata because I knew she would have tried to stop me. And Tenten? Lee did know. I told him a few days after you had left for the summer."

"LEE KNEW AND HE DIDN'T TELL ME!" Tenten shouted, outraged. "WHAT KIND OF-"

"I told him I would gentle-fist him to death if he did," Neji said. "Besides, you know how Lee is. The youthfulness and honor in keeping secrets."

"Or something along those lines," Tenten said, begrudgingly smiling. "Okay, yeah, that sounds like Lee. But aren't you forgetting one last person to explain?"

"Hn."

"…Yes, that definitely explained everything right there. Yup." Tenten raised an eyebrow.

Neji sighed. "Tenten, do you really think I would've been able to leave if I had to say goodbye to you again? It was hard enough letting you go for the summer."

_Flashback_

_Early July, the summer before junior year_

_Outside of the Hyuga Compound_

"_Neji, really, you don't have to wait with me or anything," Tenten said, blushing under the dark summer night. The stars were out in reckless abandon, and the moon was a perfect crescent in the sky above. _

_They were waiting in front of the main doors for Kiba and his older sister. They were driving to a family friend's house to check up on some newborn puppies, and had offered to give Tenten a ride to her grandparents' house, a few towns away from their destination. Tenten appreciated this, happy to not have to take the bus, even if they did travel at strange hours during the night. Kiba tried to explain that his sister was just weird period, and that he was sorry for that, but it was okay by Tenten. It gave her an extra day with Lee and Neji. _

"_Tenten, stop arguing. I need to get out of the house anyway." Neji said._

"_Ahah! An ulterior motive! I knew it!" Tenten laughed, winking._

"_Hn," Neji said, smirking. "You really think I want to be in there, with Lee and Hanabi arguing over if a squirrel is cuter than a chipmunk?"_

"_I don't know why she continues to do this to him," Tenten said. "She knows how riled up he gets about how all woodland creatures are equally cute."_

"_She just likes to irk people," Neji commented._

_Tenten nodded, than took a deep breath, getting serious. This was it. This was the night that she was going to tell Neji how she truly felt. She really felt that he felt the same way, but knew that one of them had to say something first. It should be her, right? She was the louder of the two. _

_Besides, if he didn't feel the same way, she would have all summer long to recover _

"_Neji, we're really good friends, right? Some might even say best friends?" She asked._

"_Hn," Neji said, giving her a curious look._

_Best friends tell each other almost everything," Tenten said, trying to sound wise and knowing._

"_Hn," Neji said again._

"_Yeah. So there's something I have to tell you." Tenten gulped and looked him in the eyes. "I like you."_

_Neji blinked for a moment. "Hn. Obviously."_

_Tenten just stared at him, saying nothing, an incredulous look on her face. "Uh. WHAT?"_

"_Tenten. Among your many traits are funny, intelligent, a killer with weapons, unorthodoxly sweet, gorgeous, and transparent. I already knew. I was just waiting for you to say it out loud." Neji commented calmly._

"_But. Why?" Tenten was extremely confused and bracing herself for heartbreak._

"_I wanted to see how long it would take." Neji said simply._

_Tenten narrowed her eyes. "NEJI HYUGA! YOU-"_

"_I," Neji interrupted, "am going to kiss you now. So, Tenten? Shut up."_

_And he made good to his word, leaning down and brushing his lips against hers. Once, twice, before pressing their mouths together. _

_Tenten shifted her head slightly as he moved closer to her still, cradling her face with both of his hands. She gripped at his waist tightly, not wanting to let go. The kiss was sweet, Neji's hands were cool against Tenten's hot face, and Tenten felt perfectly happy._

_Or, she thought she did. Because when Neji slowly prodded her lips open with his, Tenten immediately decided that that is when she became perfectly happy. She could feel his tongue sliding along her lips, her teeth, and her tongue, and in a haze, she was beginning to wonder why they hadn't kissed much, much sooner. _

"_So that's how you French kiss someone," an inquisitive voice said from somewhere behind Tenten. _

_She opened her eyes, not five seconds after Neji slowly lifted his mouth off of hers. She looked up into his face, seeing a smirk on his face as he shook his head._

"_Hanabi," he said in a pleasant voice._

"_Uh-oh," Tenten said, feeling bad for the cousin even though she had interrupted. Neji never used his pleasant voice unless he was about to seriously damage someone._

"_Hehehe, I-I-I… uh, I'll j-just go b-back inside!" Hanabi said quickly. Tenten heard a resolute click! behind her as the door was shut. _

"_I really like kissing you," Tenten said to Neji._

"_Hn," Neji said in agreement. "I really like you."_

"But you said you met her before we kissed, though," Tenten questioned. "Wouldn't that have only been one goodbye?"

"But she didn't ask me to stay with her until after you had left," Neji said. "And honestly, when we first met, I wasn't sure I believed her myself, so I didn't mention her to anyone. She knew that I wasn't too sure, which I think is why she asked me to stay."

"I guess so…" Tenten said.

Neji continued. "Try and imagine if I had seen you before leaving for a year. I couldn't see myself doing it at all. In fact, I'd probably throw the whole plan out of the window and try to stay with you at your grandparents'."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Tenten teased. "Except I don't know if Gramps would accept that. He hates guys with long hair."

Neji smirked. "And that's also why I didn't try and get in contact with you that year either. One word from you and I would've been home faster than Lee when he hears Sakura's name."

Tenten smiled. "Okay, I understand. But I still think the whole thing was pretty jerky though. I missed you a lot. And you were a moron when you came back home."

"Hn. But Tenten, I'm just a teenage boy. A prodigy, yes, but a stupid teenage boy."

"Wow, Neji Hyuga calling himself stupid! Alert the media!" Tenten laughed.

Neji smiled, a most beautiful site to see on a beautiful day.

"So is that everything?" Neji asked.

"Eh, probably, for now," Tenten winked. "Except one more question."

"Hn," Neji said, sighing.

Tenten ignore this. "You left because of all your you problems. But you came back for me, right?"

Neji nodded. "I didn't need to be away anymore. I had all my answers, got to know Ihimi, and I missed you more than I can even begin to explain."

"While that is really sweet," Tenten said, "that wasn't my question."

"Hn?"

"Why haven't you kissed me yet, huh? For a prodigy, it sure does take you awhile to get on with this sort of thin-"

Tenten was cut off, too busy having Neji's lips on hers to say anything else for the moment.

"Wait, wait," She mumbled. "Just know. You leave like that again, I'm going to kunai your ass faster than you can say, 'Anko, why the hell would you teach this to Tenten?'"

Neji smiled against Tenten's mouth before kissing her again.

--

Not quite the end, but pretty darn close! Are all our previous chapters' questions answered? No! But that's okay, we have an epilogue in the works... or something along those lines!


	10. Epilogue

EPILOGUE: Monday Morning

"This is just… I'm so… the springtime of youth and love has once more hit upon my two beloved best friends!" Lee was yelling, tears streaming down his face like waterfalls as he gripped Neji and Tenten tightly.

"Let go," Neji grunted.

"Please," Tenten added, trying not to squirm in Lee's viselike grasp.

"I can not!" Lee, in a voice that made Tenten believe he was holding back sobs. "When I realized you two were becoming friends again, it was enough to send my heart into such a flutter that it competed with the time my hero and sensei Gai took me for my first hair cut!"

Neji shot a quick look to Tenten, who had suddenly drooped hopelessly. Any dreams of escaping Lee's clutches were slim to none now.

Lee continued his emotional speech. "But then, today, to walk into these hallowed halls of youth and education… and to see… to see…"

Oh no," Neji groaned. Lee had begun to wail, causing underclassmen in the hall to skitter away the trio.

"TO SEE MY BEST FRIENDS IN LIFE ANF BEYOND HOLDING HANDS… Words can not describe the sunset scenes I am racing towards in my mind's eye of joy and contentment!" Lee finished, giving one loud sniff.

Neji tentatively patted Lee on the back as Tenten wiped at some of the tears running down Lee's face.

"He acts like this is a surprise," Neji muttered to Tenten. "We called him on Sunday."

"Maybe he needed visible proof?" Tenten muttered back.

Lee sighed happily. "I feel as though I could run a hundred thousand laps around the world, my heart is singing so ecstatically."

Tenten twisted her head slightly to look at the hallway clock. This hug had blown all of Lee's other hugs out of the water, time-wise. It was going on eleven minutes.

Lee suddenly pulled back, kissing Neji on the cheek, and then kissing Tenten on hers. The couple looked at each other, in both annoyance and amusement.

"I shall now go to my locker, and leave the two of you to your devices. Remember Neji, use protection with our gentle blossom."

Neji had to stop Tenten from lunging after Lee as he skipped away.

"What does he think we're going to do, sneak into Tsuande's office and try to have sex on her desk?" Tenten asked, giving a half-hearted glare at her friend's retreating green back.

Neji just smirked, causing Tenten to blush.

"Don't even think about it, Hyuga!" she said, eyes narrowing.

"Too late for that," was his reply.

He grimaced and then grinned at her when she punched him in the arm.

"Pervert," she muttered.

"You were the one who said it," Neji retorted.

"Oh just shut up," Tenten said, grinning at him.

"No you shut up," Neji shot back.

"Make me," Tenten challenged.

"Maybe I will," Neji said leaning closer to her until their lips were almost touching.

Tenten closed her eyes and was about to press closer to him when she felt…

A slap on her butt.

Her eyes sprung open as she watched a smirking Neji walking backwards away from her. Her jaw dropped open for a few seconds, before it curled up into a smile. He winked, shifting the notebooks he was holding to his left hand and holding out his right for her to grab.

She reached him as the first period bell rang, intertwining their hands together.

A few moments later, when reached Tenten's Creative Writing class, everyone, including Jiraiya-sensei, stared in surprise as Neji turned redder than his easily embarrassed cousin after hearing a resounding _smack_.

"Did… Tenten… just… slap Neji's ass?" Kiba asked Sakura.

After seeing Tenten walk to her seat, then look over her shoulder to flirtatiously wink at the stunned Neji, it was determined that she did in fact do so.

It was after Neji stormed up to Tenten, spun her around, and kissed her that it was determined that the stoic boy really didn't mind at all.

Just as quickly as he had touched his lips to hers, Neji pulled back with a smile on his face, and walked out the room to go to his first period class.

Tenten sank into her seat, smiling widely as Sakura winked at her.

"Wow. Hyuga does have more than one expression," Jiraiya muttered absently to himself as he turned to the blackboard.

Tenten's smile became a huge grin.

* * *

Whew, it's finally finished! I know this took a million years to complete, and I'm sorry. Thank you so much for all the favorites and reviews! This was a pretty cheesy ending, I know, but it felt right hahahaha.


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